Friend or Foe
by MysteriousSherlock
Summary: Tara Lumen was just a normal girl, but her life is changed forever when a strange man asks her to go with him. Having refused, she is forced to run from everything she has ever known. Lost and alone, she never expected an answer to her calls for help. Now that she is making friends for the 1st time in her life, she is faced with a question-who can she trust? And can they trust her?
1. Running Away

**Hiya, Mysterious Sherlock here!**

**So, first thing's first, a few important things you need to know about this story. It's set eighteen years and about nine months after the film. Tara is not based on a real person, nor are any of the other OCs. I first started getting the ideas for this FanFiction just after I watched the film, on the 21****st**** of December 2012. I have finally decided to write it and post it online.**

**For those of you who have read my other FanFiction (if any of you are reading this), then I am hoping that this one will not end up the same way. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the ideas flowing, and update regularly. Hopefully (no promises).**

**I don't own Rise of the Guardians, all I own are the OCs and the plot. I also don't own anything else I may make references to that I definitely don't own (eg, Moulin Rouge).**

**So, here it is-the first chapter of 'Friend or Foe'.**

* * *

Chapter One-Running Away

Tara's POV

I looked cautiously up and down the corridor, like I had done every night since the night of my tenth birthday. Eight years ago, to the day. Like back then, there was nobody here to catch me breaking the rules.

I opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. I shut my eyes and breathed in the cold, refreshing air, enjoying the silence. Peace. There wasn't a lot of that in _"Burgess' Home for the Orphaned"_. At least, not for me. People were always calling me names, insulting me, or just acting as though I wasn't there.

I turned and carefully pushed the window closed enough that no one would notice what I had done.

This was where I had seen them. Jack Frost, the Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy. I took my phone out of my pocket, the same one that I had received for my tenth birthday. I closed my eyes again, and remembered.

_(Flashback)_

_I took my new mobile phone that I had received today as a tenth birthday present out of my pocket and switched it on. The screen came to life. I clicked on the 'camera' icon. I carefully held up the phone and pressed the button. I then paused to look at the photo. Perfect._

_I smiled to myself. Who now would doubt that Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman were real? And in extension, who would doubt the existence of other such people, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?_

_(End of flashback)_

"Except nobody _did_ believe you, Tara Lumen," said a man's voice from beside me, as though he had read my mind. "To them, the photo was just blank."

I jumped, startled, and turned to look at the man. His clothes were disheveled, dirty and torn, as was his black, shaggy hair and beard. He looked as though he hadn't seen a bed or a shower in months. I realized he must be one of the many homeless people that live in this town.

"Who are you? How did you get up here? How do you know me? How do you know about that? What do you want?!" I demanded.

He stared at me for a long moment before saying, "Who am I? That's a question I'd rather not answer at this precise moment in time. As for how I got up here, I climbed up the drainpipe. In answer to your other questions, I know everything there is to know about you, Tara. I've watched over you and protected you since the day you were born, and now, you _must_ come with me."

I raised my eyebrows at him skeptically. "So let me get this straight, you want me to go with you, when I have no idea who you are, and the only things I do know about you is that you are creeping me out and you appear to be a tad stalker-ish. Forgive me for saying this, but the concept isn't all that appealing."

"But this is your chance-you can be free of this place! You can leave, now! What is left for you here? You have no friends; everyone shuns you and thinks you're crazy. Isn't a friend all you've ever wanted? I could be that."

_How is it that he knows so much about me? _ "At least here the worst thing that can happen is I shunned to death. If I go with you, who knows what could happen. One day I _will_ get away from here."

My words made me think of a song from one of my favorite films.

_One day I'll fly away,_

_Leave all this to yesterday,_

As though reading my mind, the man finished "_'Why live life from dream to dream, And dread the day when dreaming ends?'_ Tara, you're living under the false illusion that this place is safe for you. But you're wrong. For eighteen years I have watched over you as you grew up, but I can no longer protect you from your fears, and soon, they will come for you. But if you come with me, I can protect you."

"Oh yeah?" I said, climbing back towards the window. "Well, if you're still here when I come back, then you can tell that to the police. I'll give you ten minutes-if you're not gone by then, I'm calling 911."

"If that's your choice, then so be it," he sighed. "It's such a shame really. I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but since you refuse to come with me, your fate has been decided. Farewell, Tara Lumen. I do not believe we shall meet again."

"And good riddance," I muttered as I climbed back through the orphanage window. Despite the fact I honestly didn't believe a word he was saying, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding.

I went to the bathroom, had a quick shower and got into my plain, grey pyjamas. I looked at myself in the mirror. Although I had turned eighteen today, which meant that technically I was an adult now, I didn't look or feel any different. I still had the same blonde, curly hair, the same golden eyes, the same pale skin. I slipped my feet into a pair of slippers that matched the pyjamas and exited the bathroom, stuffing my clothes into the laundry basket as I went. The orphanage staff would wash them tomorrow, as it was washday.

At the other end of the corridor, a tiny girl was stood it a pair of pyjamas that were patterned with teddy bears. She also had blonde hair, which was currently tangled and messy. I recognized her as Cassandra, a five-year-old girl whose parents died a year ago in a house fire. She appeared to be inspecting something in her hand, as though unsure as to what to do with it.

"Cassandra?" I said, "Are you okay?"

She looked up. "My tooth just came out," she said, holding it out for me to see. "What do I do with it?"

I smiled at her. "You have to put it under your pillow so that the tooth fairy can collect it."

She frowned. "But the tooth fairy isn't real, Tara. Everyone knows that. You're the only one who still believes in stories like that."

"Yes, it seems like I am," I sighed to myself, as she walked away. Cassandra was five, she _should _believe-any girl as young, sweet and innocent as her should. But, of course, the residents of this God-forsaken orphanage wouldn't allow it.

I walked up to the window to the roof and stuck my head out. The man had gone. I took one last breath of the fresh night air and closed it. I then silently slipped through the door to my dormitory.

_Dormitory K_ was the eleventh of the twelve dormitories there were at _Burgess' Home for the Orphaned_. It was one of the six girls dormitories. Inside, there were eight beds, all of which, except mine, were currently occupied with a teenage girl. They were laughing and giggling, discussing make up, who was going out with who, which guys were hot and guys weren't. They stared at me as I walked past them to my bed by the window.

I took out of my pocket a tiny silver key, and reached under the bed. A short, silver chain wrapped around the bedpost and through two zip-pulls on a blue backpack that contained all my belongings, preventing the bag from being opened or the bag from being stolen. The ends of the chain were linked by a small padlock, which I unlocked using the silver key.

Call me paranoid for doing this, but before I had kept all my belongings under lock and key like this, things were always getting damaged or stolen. One of the many disadvantages of being the crazy kid in the orphanage full of so-called 'sane' kids is that you tend to get picked on. I learnt long ago that keeping all my belongings locked up like this was the only way to keep them safe.

I carefully put my wash-bag in, zipped and padlocked it shut and slid it back under the bed. I then got into bed, shut my eyes, and waited for matron to call lights out. She did so a couple of minutes later, and silence fell in _Dormitory K_.

Within a few minutes, I was fast asleep.

* * *

_I was in a dark cavern. The walls were dark and rocky; they seemed to surround me, stopping me from escaping. Dark, shadowy creatures that took the form of horses with glowing eyes hid in the darkness, but worst of all was the man in the centre of the cavern. He was tall and he wore black robes that seemed to be made of the shadows and the darkness of the cave itself. He stood with his back to me, yet somehow I could feel the power and life being drained from me as though he were a vacuum. Then suddenly he turned, and I saw his face._

_He had ashen-grey skin and amber, cat-like eyes. At first he just stood there, staring straight at me. And then his lips stretched into a cruel smile, showing his horrible pointed teeth, and he laughed. The horrible noise echoed throughout the cavern, until suddenly I felt like thousands of people were laughing, all surrounding me, and I felt so afraid, what were they going to do to me, were they going to hurt me or were they just going to get it over with and kill me, here and now in this dark, lonely hellhole that was my mind..._

I sat bolt upright in my bed, biting back a scream. I could feel myself shaking violently. The nightmare had been worse than ever.

I had been dreaming about that cavern for almost as long as I could remember. At first the dreams weren't that frequent, I'd only get them every so often, and at first the cavern had been empty. But the more I got them, the worse they were, and the more frequently I got them.

It started out with an empty cavern. Then one night, the shadows began to _move_. Then, another night, they began to take shape, and gradually, over time, they became the terrible black horses. And then the man appeared for the first time. He had started out frail and weak, but every time I saw him, he was stronger. Which was ridiculous, as it was only a nightmare.

Until tonight though, he had always kept his back to me, waiting for some sign or event. Tonight had been the first time that I had seen his face, or heard his voice. I wish I hadn't. The cruel smile he'd given me, the way he'd laughed...it was like he was _mocking_ me, like he knew something I didn't.

I quietly unlocked the padlock on my backpack and slipped it onto my back. I then sneaked out of the dormitory and into the bathroom. There was no way I would be able to sleep now, not after that nightmare, so I might as well get dressed.

I pulled out of my bag my dark blue sneakers, dark blue jeans, a white blouse and a silvery-grey jumper. I changed into them, put my pyjamas back into my bag, and dragged a brush through my hair. Once that was done, I zipped up my bag and walked into the corridor.

As usual, there was nobody here, so I walked straight up to the window and opened it, silently praying that the man who had been here earlier hadn't returned. I climbed out onto the roof and saw, to my relief, that he hadn't. I sat on the tiles and was about to lie back and gaze up at the stars, when I saw movement down below in the street.

The sense of foreboding I had felt earlier, after I told that man no, returned. I watched the street, wondering if he _had_ returned. Nothing. It must have been my imagination. I relaxed and let out the breath that I didn't even know I'd been holding in.

Then suddenly, something in one of the shadows moved. And then, out of the shadow crept a shadowy creature, with glowing eyes. My heart skipped a terrified beat. It was a shadow-horse, from my nightmares.

The words of the strange man came back to me.

_'I can no longer protect you from your fears, and soon, they will come for you.'_

Had this been what he meant? Had he known about my nightmares? Or is this all just a massive coincidence? After all, I have never told _anyone_ about the nightmares.

Another horse crept out of the shadows, and another, and another. Soon there were twelve of them, one guarding each exit of the building, and the remaining eight disintegrating and turning to streams of black sand that slipped through the cracks around the windows and doors of the orphanage.

_They were looking for something_, I realized.

_No._

_Not some_thing.

_Some_one.

_Me._

I had to get away from here. They were from _my_ nightmares, therefore it would only make sense that they had come for _me_. That meant that me being here was a danger to everyone. I had to try to draw them away, and maybe even escape.

Of course, they would probably leave once they realized I wasn't in the building. But if they were to find me while I was up here, then I would be trapped. My best bet would be to get away without being seen, and hope that they would either give up, or find my trail and leave the children and staff in the orphanage alone.

I crept slowly and silently along the roof until I reached the edge. Here, there was an alleyway that was shadow-creature free, but no way of getting down. I looked around hopelessly, until something caught my eye.

_'As for how I got up here, I climbed up the drain pipe.'_

The man, who was probably a lot heavier than me, had climbed up, and presumably down, a drainpipe to get on and off the roof. And here it was, right in front of me. And if it could take his weight, then I was willing to bet that it could take mine.

I carefully repositioned my backpack so that it wouldn't cause me any troubles, then I very carefully went over the edge of the building, desperately clutching the drainpipe. I'm not afraid of heights, but I knew that if I fell from this height, then I would be extremely likely to break my neck.

I let myself slowly slide down the pipe as though it were a fireman's pole. I reached the bottom and looked around. None of the horses had noticed my stunt, but now I had to get as far away from the building as I could without them noticing.

I ran down another alleyway, and then into the main street. Past houses, then the school, then the police station, and finally into the woods that surrounded the town.

Snow was falling, spinning and twirling gracefully in its descent. It settled on the ground, the trees, the bushes, making everything look different. Soon, I was horribly lost.

The freshly fallen snow crunched underfoot, but apart from that and my ragged breathing, there was no sound. The woods were silent and void of life.

I slowed to a stop, and looked around, catching my breath. I was exhausted-the nightmares always left me more tired than I had been when I went to sleep, and for some reason tonight's one had been particularly tiring.

The woods were beautiful. Winter always has been my favorite time of year, especially when it snows. Being here in the snow-covered woods right now, I felt strangely safe, despite being completely and utterly lost, while running away from shadowy creatures. I listened carefully to the silence. No signs of any life, animal, bird or shadow-creature. Maybe I had lost them.

Even as the thought occurred to me, I heard, not too far away, the neigh of a horse, followed by an answering neigh. I turned away from the sound and ran. I was so tired that my movements felt sluggish, and I wanted to lie down on the ground and go to sleep. I forced myself to keep going.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see trails of black sand not far behind. I put on a burst of speed, but I knew it was hopeless. No one could outrun a horse, much less one that could fly, turn into streams of sand and travel at impossible speeds.

Two streams of sand over took me, stopped, and reformed into black horses, blocking my path. I skidded to a halt, and turned to see that two more were standing just behind me. I looked to the left, and then to the right, and saw that I was surrounded. Twelve of the terrifying creatures, that had haunted my dreams my whole life, were standing in a circle around me. I was trapped.

With nothing else left to do, I desperately yelled at the top of my lungs, "Help! Please, somebody, _anybody_, help me!"

But I knew that no help would come. I was lost and alone, in the middle of the woods at the dead of night. Everyone would be asleep in their homes. Nobody would even hear my calls, and even if they did, they would never get here in time.

One of the shadow-horses prepared to charge straight at me.

This was it. Somehow, I just knew, that this was the end.

I was going to die.

* * *

**So, what do you think? How do you like Tara, as a character? Who do you think the strange homeless guy is? Will Tara survive? Please review and tell me what you think!**

**I apologize slightly for the Moulin Rouge reference-I was listening that song at the time, and I happened to realize how similar the first two lines of the chorus were to what Tara was saying…and how I was about to write something similar to the next two lines for the strange guy to say…and so I thought ****_'why not?'_****. I was kind of hoping that strange guy finishing it off for her would kind of add to the creepiness of the strange guy. If you haven't heard this song, and want to, just type the youtube address then copy and paste the following into the address bar.**

**/watch?v=4N7VK7vHwnw**

******The part I used is at 1:50. I apologise for not giving you the full address, but FanFiction won't let me :(. Sorry.**

**See you next time!**


	2. A New Friend

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, I only own the plot, Tara, and any other OCs.**

**Ok, here it goes…I'm sorry I didn't update last Monday like I should have done!  
Although, for once, it wasn't my fault…  
You see, the Macbook I use for editing, saving and uploading chapters had to go to the Apple Store because the battery needed replacing.  
So I haven't been able to update, because I didn't want to use my dad's to do it, because I didn't want to risk him reading it, or discovering my pen name (meaning he can read all my FanFictions) and discovering just how crazy I really am. And if I'm honest, I'd like the real world to remain as oblivious to my '**_**secret identity'**_**, MysteriousSherlock, as possible. (I know, I know, '**_**secret identity'**_** sound like a super-hero thing, but if you get what I'm saying, nobody I know in the real world knows my pen name (most of them don't know I have an account, the only two that do are my parents, I'm not sure my mum even knew in the first place, and I think my dad may have forgotten), so if you get what I'm saying, I do **_**kind of**_** have a secret identity, in a really, **_**really, **_**weird way).**

**So anyway, enough of that babbling.**

**Thank you to ****_Diana Fay_**** and ****_LightBlueRoses_**** for favouriting my story, and thank you to ****_Diana Fay_**** (again) for following my story.**

**Also, thank you to the two guests that reviewed-  
**_**To both guests:**_ **Thank you for being the first people to review! When I read your reviews, by that point I knew I wouldn't be able to update on time, so I felt really guilty…but I hope this chapter is to your satisfaction! Here you go!**

**On with the story!**

* * *

Chapter Two-A New Friend

Jack's POV

I landed on the frozen lake that I had come to think of as my home, and looked around at my work. Snow covered the ground, and continued to fall from the sky. No doubt Jamie's five-year-old son, Christopher, would be having a day off school tomorrow. He would like that.

I smiled at the thought of the fun we would have, the snowball fights, the crazy sledge rides, and hearing about what Christopher was hoping to get for Christmas. It feels so good, so special, even after nearly nineteen years, to be believed in.

I looked up at the moon. "Thank you," I said, "thank you for everything."

I do that a lot. Before I became a Guardian, nobody believed in me, so nobody ever saw me. I couldn't remember who I was before I first woke up in this lake, before I became immortal and before the moon gave me the name 'Jack Frost'. So I spent three hundred years bringing snow and fun to the children of the world, and always wondering '_Why?'_

I grew quite bitter, I guess. I'll never forget how lonely it was to be invisible, never to be seen, heard, or touched. I'll never forget the hollow, empty feeling I got every time somebody walked through me. But it was all worth it. Now, I'm a Guardian, children believe in me, I know who I am, who I was, and why _I_ was chosen. If it weren't for the moon, I would still be wondering who I am. I would still be Jack Frost, the winter spirit that nobody believes in. It's because of the moon, that I am what I am now: Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun. And so, I can never stop thanking him. Never.

I walked to the edge of the lake, lay down on the snowy ground, and stared up at the starry sky. I closed my eyes and listened to the peaceful silence.

"_Help! Please, somebody,_ anybody, _help me!"_

I jumped to my feet as the girl's terrified voice echoed around the woods. Instinctively, I leapt into the air and flew as fast as I could in the direction the voice had come from. Why was she so scared?

Almost immediately, I located her. She had blonde, curly, shoulder-length hair, was wearing dark colored jeans, a white blouse, a silvery-grey v-necked jumper, and a blue backpack. She was standing in a clearing, looking fearfully around her at twelve...

I suppressed a gasp of horror and surprise. _Nightmares_. I hadn't seen a single Nightmare since the day I became a Guardian-the day I helped defeat Pitch Black. Now suddenly, there were_twelve of them_, all surrounding this girl. What was going on?

One of the Nightmares suddenly charged at her. Faster than lightning, I flew and landed between them and sent a blast of icy energy at it. It burst in a shower of ice and black sand.

The other Nightmares all charged at once, and suddenly I was fighting like I hadn't done in years, using my staff both for my ice powers, and if necessary to hit one of them with. Soon, the only remaining trace of them was the black sand that was scattered around the clearing.

I turned to look at the girl. She looked tired, but unharmed. She was about eighteen, at a guess, and I suddenly found myself noticing how beautiful she was. Her golden eyes were wide, and she was staring right at me. Well, not _right at me_-nobody her age ever believes, apart from Jamie. There was no way she could see me. I turned sadly away and walked back towards the lake.

"Wait!" I heard her call. "You can't save my life and then walk off as though nothing ever happened!"

I kept walking, trying my best to shut her out. _She doesn't believe, she can't see you_, I told myself. I heard the crunch of snow underfoot as she jogged after me. Or rather, she _would_ be jogging after me, if she could see me. She slowed down to a halt.

"Jack Frost," she called. I froze. She had just said my name.

_Could she see me?_

"I...I'm sorry," she continued, "I just want to thank you, that's all. I'm sorry if I've caused you trouble, or offended you, or something..."

I turned to look at her. She was looking nervously down at the ground in front of her. She looked up as I took a step towards her.

"Can...Can you _see_ me?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you so much, I hope I haven't caused you any trouble-"

"No, not at all," I interrupted hurriedly, "I just...I didn't think you _could_ see me-most people your age can't."

She looked up curiously. "How come?"

"I can only be seen by people who believe in me," I explained, "and most people, by the time they reach your age, they stop believing in silly little myths about winter spirits who bring snow to the land. The fact that you can see me means you believe in me, which for someone your age is rare." I paused, and then said quietly, "thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me, when someone believes."

"You're welcome," she smiled, "and thank you for saving me. I didn't think anyone would." She paused for a second, thinking. "What were they, exactly? The shadow-horses, I mean."

"Nightmares," I answered. "or at least, that's what they're called. As for what they _are_, I'm not convinced anyone really knows for sure. They feed on fear and they give people nightmares, hence the name, but that's as much as anyone really knows." I paused, wondering how much I should tell her. "If I'm honest, I haven't seen one for nearly nineteen years. So...why, after that long, have twelve of them suddenly decided to attack an ordinary human girl? Assuming, of course, you _are_ ordinary, um..." I realized I hadn't even asked her name.

"Tara Lumen. And yes, I am ordinary. Unless being considered crazy counts."

"Considered crazy?"

"Don't worry, I'm not _actually_ crazy. Unless of course you're just a figment of my imagination, and this whole situation is just one massive hallucination, in which case I may have finally cracked." She smiled slightly, apparently amused by the idea. As quickly as it had appeared though, the smile disappeared and was replaced by a worried look. "They're not going to give up that easily, are they?"

I shook my head. "Probably not." I paused for a moment, struck by an idea. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Her golden eyes looked at me hopefully, as I thought how best to answer. "I can take you to a place," I told her. "You'd be safe from the Nightmares there."

"Oh no, I couldn't...I don't want to be any trouble..."

"It wouldn't be any trouble, honest. Besides, I would never be able to live with myself if I were to leave you here on your own to fend for yourself when there are God knows how many Nightmares out there, after you."

"Really? It won't be any trouble?"

"Really. So, do you want to come?"

She paused for a second, and then said, so quietly I almost didn't catch it, "Yes."

I smiled at her, encouragingly. "In which case I have a very important question for you. Well, two actually. First of all, are you afraid of heights?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Okay then...do you trust me?"

"Um...yes?"

"Take my arm," I instructed, holding it out for her. She did as she was told, and I leapt into the air, and then we were flying high above the forest, the cold wind carrying us in the direction we wanted to go.

I looked at Tara, to check she was okay. She was laughing.

"This is amazing," she yelled over the roar of the wind, "I've always wanted to know what it would be like to fly, but I never imagined it like this!"

"What's it like in comparison to what you thought it would be?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Better," she answered, smiling. "Way better." She paused, and then asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

I smiled mischievously at her. "You'll see." I remained silent for a second, and then frowned, realizing that, being the irresponsible winter spirit I was, I'd forgotten to ask her something very important. "Won't your parents be worried?"

She shook her head. "Don't have any of those-my mother died in childbirth and my father never stuck around long enough for me to be born."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. "Oh, I'm...sorry."

"Don't be-it's not your fault."

"Do you live with one of the local families then?" I asked, wondering if Jamie might know them. If so, he could make some kind of excuse for her.

"Nope, I was brought up in _Burgess' Home for the Orphaned_, and I've been stuck there my whole life, since nobody ever adopted me."

"An orphanage? I didn't know Burgess _had_ an orphanage."

She laughed. "I wish I could say the same-it's not the nicest of places. They'll probably notice I'm gone, but I doubt anyone will worry about me. To them I'm just a crazy kid that's gone and either run away, got myself lost or got myself killed. Either way, they'll tell the police, and after that they'll probably hope I don't come back."

"That's horrible! Surely _someone_ will worry?"

"The staff will probably worry about the amount of paperwork they'll have to fill out, and about the orphanage's reputation as a safe home for children. Does that count?"

I didn't have an answer, so we flew on in silence. I thought about what she had said. Judging by the look in her eyes, she hadn't been lying or over exaggerating. Life must have been really hard for her, yet she didn't seem to be at all bitter about it. Most kids would've become hateful and depressed, but instead she seemed nice, kind...a good person.

And then there was the thing that kept bugging me. Why had she been targeted by Nightmares? And what did it mean?

I wasn't sure I wanted to find out - whatever it meant, it couldn't be good.

* * *

A couple of hours later, we were flying over the ice-white landscapes of the Arctic. Tara had been quiet throughout the rest of the journey, enjoying the view. I wondered briefly if she had been thinking about the same things as I had-about the Nightmares and reasons as to why they might want to attack her.

In an attempt to distract myself from the dark and worrying thoughts that were entering my brain, I decided to try talking to her again.

"So, have you guessed where we're going yet?" I asked, giving her my trademark mischievous grin.

She gave me a knowing smile. "Well, unless you live in an magical ice cave in the middle of the arctic, there's only one place I can think of that would classify as 'safe' at the North Pole."

"Really?" I asked, feigning cluelessness, "I wonder where that might be?"

She looked as though she was about to answer, but then our destination came into view, and she gasped. I guess it's not everyday you get to see Santa Claus's workshop.

"It's amazing!"

I laughed. "You think it's amazing from the outside, wait till you see it from the inside."

She looked at me, a kind of happy light in her eyes. "Really? We can go in?"

"You didn't _actually_ think I lived in a magical ice cave, did you?" I said, grinning.

"Not really...although I hadn't completely ruled out that idea." She seemed thoughtful. "So where _is_ your home?"

I thought about it for a moment. After I became a Guardian, North gave me a bedroom in his workshop. Turns out he has a lot of those for in case another immortal visits and wants somewhere to rest. Most of the bedrooms aren't used. Honestly, I'm not sure why he bothers to prepare for visitors, when the yetis don't let _anyone_ in, unless they're a Guardian. But, for whatever reason he has the bedrooms, since I visit North a lot the place had kind of become like a second home to me. But there was a place that would always be home to me, no matter what...

"Burgess," I answered.

She looked surprised. "Really? Where abouts?"

"Well...the whole town is like a home to me, I guess. But there is one place..." I trailed off, thinking of the lake where I had died as a mortal and been born as an immortal. "Tell you what, when all this craziness with the Nightmares is over, I'll show you."

We landed on a small balcony, which North had built for Tooth, Sandy and I's use not long after I became a Guardian. It gave us a place where we could easily land and enter the workshop when we visit.

Tara and I unlinked arms, and I pushed open the small, but still grand, oak doors. We entered into the large room that was known as the globe room. Its name was due to the large globe in the centre of the room, with thousands of glowing, golden lights, representing each child who believes, and a recent addition-three white lights.

These lights were added after we defeated Pitch. They represent Tooth's palace, the Warren and North's workshop. Should one of the locations be under attack, the globe would tell us.

Tara stared wide-eyed around at the room, taking in the grandeur. Her gaze rested on a large, bearded man wearing red, who was ordering a couple of yetis around, and an amazed smile played about her lips.

"So, what do you think?" I whispered to her.

She was lost for words. Finally, she whispered so quietly I barely heard her, "I knew all this was real, but I never thought I'd ever get to see it. Thank you."

"Jack!" A Russian voice boomed. The owner of the voice, North, had finished giving orders, and was now striding towards us. "To what do I owe the pleasure? And who's your friend?"

"North, this is Tara. Tara, this is North, who you've probably heard of before as Santa Claus or Father Christmas." I didn't really think that I needed to tell her who he was, but it felt like the right thing to say.

"Tara..." North mused, "Tara...Tara...Lumen?"

She nodded. He smiled in response. "I remember, Tara Lumen, always very polite in your letters, and never asking for much."

She nodded again. "Although that didn't stop you from giving me that iPod a few years ago."

North chuckled. "You're such a nice girl...I felt you deserved something a bit bigger...I hope you liked the iPod?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "It's perfect, thank you so much Mr...uh..." she trailed off apparently unsure as to what to call him.

"You can call me North," he smiled. "And you're welcome. Though I must say, this is a surprise-Jack's never brought a friend here before, and a mortal no less."

"Yeah..." I said, "about that...I'm really sorry, what with it being so close to Christmas, but could Tara stay here for a while? This was the safest place I could think of..."

"Safe? Safe from _what_, exactly?" North asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Knowing him, he probably thought whatever it was, it was a result of one of my pranks. I wished that were the case...

"Safe from Nightmares. Twelve of them attacked her in the woods outside Burgess. If I hadn't been there..." I glanced at Tara, who looked deadly serious. "I hate to think what might have happened."

"Nightmares? You're sure?" North had gone from suspicious to worried.

"No, I think they were a bunch of kids' sandcastles gone horribly wrong," I replied sarcastically.

North laughed. "Good! That means I won't have to summon Guardians!"

Oops. I'd forgotten North didn't understand the concept of sarcasm.

"I was being sarcastic North," I explained, "of course I'm sure they were Nightmares. Creepy horses made of black sand, what else _would_ they be?"

North's face fell. "I don't know, but this is odd behavior for Nightmares. Normally they work individually to haunt mortal dreams. I have never heard of a group of them attacking a single mortal girl. This means someone or something is organizing them."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. "You mean Pitch? But I thought it would take him much, _much_ longer..."

"Pitch? Ha!" He seemed to find the idea funny. "Pitch won't be returning for thousand years or more."

"But who else has power over Nightmares?"

Tara looked extremely confused. "If you don't mind me interrupting, could somebody explain who '_Pitch'_ is?"

"You may have heard of him as the boogeyman," I explained, "Pitch Black is the enemy of the Guardians, he represents fear and darkness. He also has the ability to control Nightmares."

"But he isn't the only one," North interrupted, "there are others who have power over Nightmares. He just happens to have the most power over them since he is most like them. And currently he doesn't have _any_ power over any of them as he is much too weak. There is no way that Pitch is strong enough to control one, let alone twelve, after only nineteen years since we last defeated him."

"Are you sure?" I asked, worriedly.

"Of course I'm sure, Jack. It would take Pitch at least a thousand years to crawl out of that hole, and then he'd have to build enough strength to gain power over the Nightmares. Whatever is happening, Pitch has nothing to do with it. However, I do believe that this...unusual behavior of the Nightmares must be discussed with the other Guardians."

He walked over to the control panel in front of the globe.

"Uh, North?" I said, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Summoning Guardians," he answered, and with that, he grabbed a handle on the panel, twisted it, and pushed downwards. It glowed and sent a pulse of energy upwards, straight into the sky.

I ran to the window and saw curtains of multicolored light pulsating outwards from the workshop, undoubtedly travelling across the world.

"What on Earth...is that..._the Northern Lights?!_" Tara exclaimed.

I nodded. "For the Guardians, it's a signal that mustn't be ignored, for us to gather here. Which means..." I turned and gave her a grin. "You're about to meet them."

* * *

**So, there you go. Just so you know (in case you didn't realize it in the last chapter), Tara saw Tooth, Jack and Sandy up on the roof of the orphanage when she was ten years old, which is why she still believes. You will get to read about what happened then, hopefully within the next few chapters.**

**So, what do you think of the story so far? How do you think the other guardians will react to Tara? Who sent the Nightmares after her and why? Review and tell me what you think!**

**Till next Monday! (In my time zone)**

**(hopefully)**


	3. Of Easter Bunnies, Dreams and Memories

**Hi again…**

**Okay, I'm sorry for not updating sooner…I was going to update the Monday before last, but the chapter was nowhere near finished, so I figured I'd wait a week. The Monday we've just had came…and it still wasn't quite finished. So I thought ****_'okay, finish it today, update tomorrow.'_**** The same happened yesterday, but I've finally managed to update! I'm not sure when I'll next update, maybe next Monday, maybe the Monday after.**

**Anyway…to business…**

**I do not own ROTG. I only own the plot, Tara Lumen and any other OCs.**

**Thank you so much, ****_Your Nightmare's Nightmare_****, ****_Featherfur_**** and ****_foxchick1_**** for following my story, and to ****_foxchick1_**** for favouriting it. And also, thank you to the guest who reviewed-I'm glad you like it, and here is the update!**

* * *

Chapter 3-Of Easter Bunnies, Dreams and Memories

Tara's POV

I stared out the window, at the sky, and at the Northern lights. For about the millionth time within the past few hours, I pinched myself to check that I was really awake, and that this wasn't all a dream. _Ouch_. I really need to stop doing that, and not just because it hurts-I know it can't be a dream, because I _never _get ordinary dreams, I only ever get the nightmares about that dark cavern. I shook the memory of them from my mind.

"So what happens now?" I asked.

"We wait for Guardians." North replied.

"Who exactly _are_ the Guardians?"

"In total there are five of us. Jack and I are two of them."

"Who are the other three?"

Jack grinned mischievously. "Can you guess?" He leant on his staff, waiting for my answer.

I thought back to my tenth birthday, when I saw him on the rooftop with...

"The Tooth Fairy," I guessed. They nodded. "Sandman?" They nodded again. "And..."

I thought hard. Who could the fifth Guardian be? I tried hard to remember the conversation the three Guardians had back on the rooftop eight years ago. The Tooth Fairy had mentioned someone called _'Bunnymund'_. Could HE be the fifth Guardian? And who could _'Bunnymund'_ be another name for? Wait a second...what if...

"The Easter Bunny?" I guessed.

"Congratulations, you got three out of three correct!" Jack cried. Since North had activated the Northern Lights, he had acted less serious and more...more like the Jack I had seen on the rooftop. Excitable, fun and full of smiles. How I had always imagined Jack Frost to be.

I was immensely grateful to Jack. He had saved my life, and then offered to take me here, when he had never even met me before. He didn't even know who I was-why did he seem to...trust me so much?

What if this wasn't all that it seemed? What if they weren't to be trusted?

I immediately dismissed that thought. This was Santa Claus and Jack Frost-the idea that they might be evil and be trying to trick me was ridiculous.

I couldn't help but watch Jack as he moved around the room, freezing some of the elves and saying hi to a couple of the yetis, who grunted in response. I've seen him before, but I've never seen his face. I always used to try and imagine what it might look like, but I never imagined this- pale skin, ice-blue eyes and snow-white hair. I always thought of him as a carefree, fun loving spirit, I never imagined he might have a serious side.

Suddenly, a hole opened up in the middle of the floor. I was about to yell a warning to someone, when out hopped...

I stated in surprise and shock. Was _this_ the Easter Bunny? Six feet tall, pretty aggressive looking, brandishing two boomerangs...Saying he was slightly different to how I imagined him would be an understatement. Turns out the Guardians are full of surprises.

The Easter Bunny looked round, and spotted North.

"Alright North, you'd better have a good reason for bringing me here," he said, with an Australian accent.

_When since has the Easter Bunny been Australian?_ I thought, amazed, _I didn't even know they_ had _rabbits in Australia._

"Honestly Bunny, do you really think North would summon the Guardians here, this close to Christmas, _without_ a good reason?" Jack pointed out, floating cross-legged just above the rabbit's head.

Apparently 'Bunny' hadn't seen Jack, as he hopped backwards a few steps in surprise.

"How...how did you get here before me?! _No-one_ can beat a rabbit in a race!"

_Race?_ I thought, slightly confused. Then it hit me. Clearly, there was some kind of rivalry between Jack and Bunny. Who'd have known?

"Actually Bunny," said a heavily accented, Russian voice, "Jack is part of the reason you've been summoned here. He was already here when I activated the Northern Lights." North had finished ordering yetis around for the time being.

Bunny groaned. "Alright Frostbite, what've you done this time?"

Jack pretended to be offended. "I haven't _done_ anything!" He paused for a second. "And seriously?_ Frostbite_? Is that the worst insult you could come up with, _Kangaroo_?"

"Oh for the love of... How many times do I have to tell you, _I. AM. A. BUNNY_!"

"Really? You know, I could've sworn-" Jack cut off, swerving away from a boomerang that had been thrown in his direction. A snowball formed in his hand and he threw it back at the rabbit, who didn't quite dodge quickly enough, and ended up being hit on the ear. Unfortunately for Jack, the boomerang hit him on the back of the head on its return journey.

"Ow," he complained, rubbing the back of his head. "I really need to start remembering that boomerangs _always_ come back at you."

I couldn't help but laugh at the two Guardians. Jack, noticing this, said, "Hey! This isn't funny, Tara!"

Bunny turned to see who he was talking to. When he saw me, he frowned in surprise.

"Who're you?" he demanded.

"Now Bunny, is that really the way you should treat a guest?" North asked, "This is Tara Lumen-she is also part of the reason you're here," He turned to Jack. "Jack, why don't you show Tara to one of the guest rooms while we wait for the others?"

Jack nodded, giving me another of his mischievous grins.

"Come on," he cried, flying through some oak doors, "follow me!"

"Wait up!" I called, running after him.

I chased him through a workshop, and then through several corridors. Finally, he stopped outside a door, and I skidded to a stop next to him.

"You're a fast runner," he observed.

"And you're a fast flyer," I answered. "Any particular reason why you had me chasing you through North's workshop?"

He shrugged. "It was fun, wasn't it?"

I though about it for a second. It _had_ been fun, trying to catch up with him, even though no matter how fast I ran, I would only get to see a glimpse as he flew round another corner, or through a door. I nodded, smiling.

"That's what I do. I'm the guardian of fun-I bring fun to all the children of the world," he explained, then hastily added, "not that I think you're a child."

"Sounds like a cool job to me," I commented.

He grinned. "It is. So, would you like to see your room?"

I nodded, and he swung open the door. The room was square, with another door in the middle of the wall on the right side of the room. There was a bed, a small chest of drawers next to it that served as a bedside table, and a large chest of drawers that was probably for clothes. The far wall was made entirely of glass, giving a beautiful view of the Arctic landscapes, and there was a set of heavy curtains you could pull across to block out the light if you wanted to get to sleep during one of the six-month days.

"Do you like it?" Jack asked.

I nodded. "I know I've been saying this a lot today, but it's-"

"-amazing," Jack finished. "Yeah, you kind of have been saying that a lot."

"Sorry."

"Hey, it's not necessarily a bad thing."

I walked into the room, slid my backpack off my shoulders and carefully placed it on the floor. "What's through there?" I asked, gesturing at the door I had seen moments before.

"Bathroom." Jack answered.

There was a moment of silence. I suddenly realized how tired I was. I stifled a yawn.

"Sorry," I said, sheepishly.

Jack looked on at me in concern. "Sorry? _I'm_ the one who should be sorry-I should have known you'd be tired after running away from nightmares in the dead of night-you must be exhausted!"

Yet again, that serious side to him. It was like he constantly had mood swings between serious and fun.

I shrugged. "A little," I admitted. I felt my eyelids droop. I hadn't realized until now how tired I really was.

"You should get some sleep before Tooth and Sandy get here," Jack said. "I'll be in the room next door if you need me."

I nodded, suddenly too tired to speak. He left the room, giving me one last concerned look and closing the door behind him. I lay down on the bed, shut my eyes, and allowed myself to drift off to sleep.

* * *

_I looked down the hallway to check if anyone was there. Nobody, which was good. That meant nobody would see me and tell me off for breaking the rules._

_I opened the window. It was cold outside, snow lay on the ground four storeys below me. I climbed out and crouched carefully on the roof, carefully closing the window behind me so that no one would notice, and crawled out of sight of anyone who might look out the window. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool night air. It was perfect._

_The moment was interrupted by a voice. A laugh to be exact. Such a happy and carefree laugh, I couldn't help but smile. I turned to see who else was on the rooftop with me. Nothing. There was nobody. But I was so sure that the owner of the laugh was behind me. It took me a second to realize that they must be on the other side of the roof._

_I flattened myself out against the tiles and carefully slid up the roof, and peered over the top and to the other side. As I had suspected, there were two people there._

_One looked about eighteen. He was sitting on the roof with his back to me. From what I could see, he had white hair, he wore a blue hoody, brown trousers, and nothing on his feet. He also carried a long, frost-covered staff that looked kind of like a shepherd's crook. He was the one who was laughing._

_The other, who was also facing away from me, was extremely short and appeared to be completely composed of some kind of golden sand. He was floating on a cloud of the same sand, and images, also made up of sand, kept forming above his head, kind of like thought bubbles in cartoons._

_I couldn't believe my eyes. Could it be? Were they really who I thought they were?_

_The boy in the hoody stopped laughing._

_"Ten years and nine months since I became a guardian," he chuckled, "and I still have trouble trying to understand a word of what you're trying to say, Sandy."_

_More images formed above the little guy's head, as he desperately tried to get his message across. The boy in the hoody continued laughing as he tried to understand what the guy was trying to say. I stared in amazement. The little guy...could he be the Sandman? And the boy in the hoody..._

_"Jack," called a voice from high above us, "Jack Frost!"_

_What looked like a cross between a humming bird and a woman with fairy wings flew down to Jack Frost and the Sandman. She sat beside them._

_"Jack, have you any idea how mad Bunnymund is right now?" she asked._

_"Not really," he replied, "but I can guess."_

_"What on earth did you _do_?"_

_"Not much. All I did was make it snow in a few of his tunnels, and send a few of North's elves to, ah, 'help' make the Easter eggs..."_

_"Jack, you know those elves are more of a hindrance than a help, it's no wonder Bunny's so mad."_

_"Yeah, well...I thought Bunny could do with something to make life more interesting down there, and North wanted the elves out of the way during the final preparations for Christmas...on a different subject, how's business going back at your place, Tooth? How are the fairies?"_

_"Oh, they're fine," the fairy replied, "although I have to keep making sure that Baby-Tooth is doing her tooth collecting duties properly-I think she keeps neglecting them to visit you, Jack. She's become rather attached to you."_

_The conversation continued. I smiled to myself. I had been right all along, and everyone else had been wrong-the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, Jack Frost, and from the sounds of things Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny _were_ real! And I had proof-I had seen them! But wait..._

_Who would believe me? They would all think that I was making up some childish joke, no one would ever believe it, unless they had seen it themselves. I was back at square one-the only child in the orphanage who believed._

_Hang on...if I could show them a picture, then they would believe me! I took my new mobile phone, which I had received today as a tenth birthday present, out of my pocket and switched it on. The screen came to life. I clicked on the 'camera' icon. I carefully held up the phone and pressed the button. I then paused to look at the photo. Perfect._

_I smiled to myself. Who now would doubt that Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman were real? And in extension, who would doubt the existence of other such people, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?_

_I carefully and quietly slid back inside through the window, and took one last look at the photo, before switching it off. I slipped the phone into my pocket, before silently creeping down the corridor to my dormitory. I opened the door slowly and looked inside. All the other girls were already asleep. I slipped into my bed and squeezed my eyes tightly shut. It was a long time before I managed to get to sleep._

I opened my eyes, half expecting to wake up back at the orphanage. I was still in the bedroom at the North Pole-everything that had happened during the last few hours had really happened. I had quite literally flown away from the orphanage.

I thought back to my dream. It hadn't been a nightmare, which was a relief because I didn't want to explain why I had woken up screaming to Jack, North, Bunny or any of the other Guardians. It wasn't something they needed to worry about. But...why, after eighteen years of having nothing but that one nightmare, had I suddenly had a relatively normal dream?

Hadn't Jack said that Nightmares, the shadowy sand-horses, were what caused us to have nightmares? He had told me that I would be safe from them here...did that mean that as long as I stayed here, I wouldn't get nightmares?

And the other question...why had I dreamed about that memory? Because I could remember my dream clearly, and I knew that it was the night of my tenth birthday. The night I saw Jack, the sandman and the tooth fairy on the roof of the orphanage. The night that changed my life...

I reached into my backpack, which was on the floor by the bed, and pulled out my phone. I switched it on, scrolled through the files, and opened up the photo that I took that night. The three Guardians, frozen mid-conversation. I remembered what had happened the next day...

_(Flashback)_

_"Guys," I cried excitedly to the four girls sitting at the table, "you won't believe what I saw last night!"_

_"Don't know, don't care," one of them, Gina, sighed, boredly. "Look, Tara, you need to grow up. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. You need to stop believing silly stories about fairies and spirits and start acting your age."_

_"But I saw Jack Frost, the Sandman AND the Tooth Fairy! And they WERE real-look, I have proof!"_

_I plopped my phone down on the table in triumph. The four girls looked down at the screen curiously, frowned, and then simultaneously burst out laughing._

_"Very funny," Gina gasped between laughs. "You had us going for a moment there, Tara."_

_"What do you mean?" I asked confused._

_"There's no one there, Tara."_

_I frowned and looked closely at the photograph. "Yes there is, look," I pointed them out. "Jack Frost, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy."_

_By this time, the laughing had attracted a crowd of people. I showed the photo to them, but they all said the same thing._

_"There's nobody there, Tara."_

_(End of flashback)_

I had never understood why nobody else at the orphanage could see them in the photo. I began wondering if maybe I was, like everyone said, crazy. But now I know that I'm not, and I also know why I was the only person who could see them.

_'I can only be seen by people who believe in me.'_

That's what Jack had said. Clearly it was like that for _all_ the Guardians, not just Jack. If only I had known that _before_ I started showing the photo to everyone I knew-then maybe the next few years wouldn't have been as bad...

Five psychologists, two psychiatrists and an ordinary doctor was what it took for the orphanage staff to finally believe I wasn't crazy or mentally ill. And even that didn't convince my peers.

I shook my head, trying to free it of the memories. That was all in the past. I wasn't at the orphanage any more, and even if, after all this was over, I would have to go back, I could at least pretend, for now, that I was never going to.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my hairbrush. I then walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't brushed it since before being chased through the woods, flying halfway across the world and then going to sleep for a while, so, as one would expect, my hair looked like someone had tried to put it through a blender. I'm not the type of person who usually cares how they look, but even I didn't particularly take to the idea of walking around like this.

About five minutes later I was walking out the bedroom. I shut the door and backed into the corridor, so that I was facing it. I looked to either side of the door I had just walked through. There was a door on both sides.

_'I'll be in the room next door if you need me,'_ Jack had said. But _which_ room next door? I tried knocking on the door to the room on my right. No answer. I opened the door slightly. Jack wasn't in there, and to my surprise, it wasn't a bedroom-inside was a large room, with a grand piano in the centre.

_A piano._ I hadn't got near enough to a piano to play one for several days. I was itching to sit at the stool and play...

Should I? I was a guest here, and a stranger...was I allowed to go into rooms like this without permission?

The part of me that wanted to play the piano won the very short mental debate, and I dashed into my room to grab my music book.

The book looked like an ordinary exercise book that you'd use in school, but the paper inside it, instead of being lined in an ordinary fashion, was manuscript paper. Over the years I had written down lots of music in it-some from listening to a piece of music and writing down what I could hear, and some of it through a deal that I have with the local music shop owner. The deal was that if I found some music in the shop that I liked, I pay him the money it would cost to actually buy the music, he kept the original copy and I copied it down into my book. He understood that I don't have the space to keep very many belongings.

I sat down on the piano stool and stared at the cover of the book. Now I was actually sitting here, I wasn't sure what to play. I thought for a second, and then made the decision the easy way. I opened the book to a random page and began to play.

I closed my eyes and lost myself in the music, my fingers dancing across the keys in familiar patterns. I was no longer aware of my surroundings, only of the music, and the rhythmic movement of my hands on the keys and my foot on the sustain pedal.

I ended the piece with an arpeggio up the piano, and let the notes die out into nothingness. I was about to reach to turn the book to another page, when the silence was broken by the sound of somebody clapping.

I spun round in my seat to look behind me. Standing in the doorway was Jack. I hadn't even noticed him come in.

"Um...hi," I said, nervously. "Sorry...I...err..."

Jack smiled. Not his mischievous grin, but a warm smile that made me feel slightly less nervous. "That was amazing. I had no idea a piano could sound so beautiful."

I blushed. If he noticed he didn't say anything. "Thanks," I said quietly.

He walked to take a look at the title. "_'Forever'_, written by _'Queen'_" he read aloud.

"It's based on one of their songs," I informed him. "_'Who wants to live forever'_."

He raised his eyebrows. "_'Who wants to live forever'_?" he asked, incredulously.

"Well, they have kind of got a point," I replied. "I mean...I wouldn't know, because I'm not immortal, but...I imagine that being immortal would be pretty hard sometimes, watching the people around you grow old and eventually die, but never ageing a day yourself. I imagine it must be pretty lonely, sometimes, if there's nobody there for you."

"You have no idea," Jack murmured, so quietly I almost didn't catch what he said. Then, almost as though he never said anything he straightened up, smiling again. "I think Tooth and Sandy have probably arrived by now-do you want to come and meet them?"

I nodded, also smiling. "Okay."

I followed him out the door. I couldn't help but think about what I thought I'd heard him say.

_'You have no idea.'_

What did that mean? Had I imagined it? Being a Guardian couldn't be lonely, could it? He had four friends to look out for him, to keep him company, not to mention that his job allowed him to spend lots of time with kids across the world, laughing and playing. So what had he meant?

I pushed those thoughts aside. If Jack had wanted to tell me, he would've done. Since he hadn't, I could only assume that he wanted to keep the information to himself. If that was what he wanted, then I wasn't going to pry.

I followed him to the globe room, wondering what I would find out. Clearly the Guardians had been summoned for some kind of meeting or discussion, which would perhaps answer a few of my questions. I just had to wait, and hopefully, given time, everything would become clear.

* * *

**So, another chapter is finished. Please tell me what you think! What do you think of Tara as a character? What kind of person do you think she is (I want to know if I'm portraying her correctly)? Do you think I'm portraying the other characters correctly? Do you think I'm rushing the story? Are there any parts of the story that are confusing you? What else do you think I can improve? Please review and tell me, because I want to know how to improve!**

**Just in case it confused any of you, Tara's dream was the memory from her tenth birthday which I've mentioned a couple of times.**

**As I mentioned in the chapter, ****_'Forever'_**** is a piano piece based on the song ****_'Who wants to live forever?'_****, by the band ****_'Queen'_****. Both songs are on their album ****_'A Kind of Magic'_**** (but ****_'Forever'_**** is only on the bonus track version). If you haven't heard these songs, and want to, type the youtube address into the address bar, and then copy and paste the following after it.**

**Forever:  
/watch?v=qtAGx4Gjr_c**

**Who Wants to Live Forever:  
/watch?v=_TsOPjZEF6E**

**I apologize for not giving you the full address, but FanFiction won't let me :(. Sorry.**

**So, please review, and see you next time!**


	4. A Meeting

**Hi Again!**

**Okay, first of all... I'm sorry for not updating for so long. I had a load of Mock GCSE exams last week and the week before (well, technically they were mocks of the mocks...), and also my MacBook kind of went wrong...again. But, no more worries! I now have a new, fully functioning MacBook, and the Mocks are over, meaning no more Mocks until December. And the real exams aren't until this time next year. :)**

**I'm a bit worried about this chapter...it may be a bit boring in places, but if it is ****_please let me know how to improve_****. I feel this chapter was necessary, as a meeting of the Guardians was ****_bound_**** to happen, and a few of the things mentioned are important, but, as I said, ****_let me know how to improve._**

**Anyway...Thank you to ebeehoney for favouriting me, to ebeehoney and Randall Boggs for favouriting my story, to ebeehoney for following my story, and to the following people for reviewing...**

**_To all guests (since you all said similar things):_**** Here you go!**

**_To foxchick1:_**** Does this chapter answer your question?\**

**_To ebeehoney:_**** Thank you! In answer to your first question, I'm updating now. I try to update every Monday (my time), but that doesn't always go to plan. The powers idea... well, all I can say withut giving too much away is that I think giving her powers might mess up the storyline a little. And, in my mind anyway, she is a mortal, therefor she can't have powers of her own. ****_However_****, there ****_is_**** something different about her, which will be revealed in the story, and things will change later on. In answer to your next question, do not worry. Jack will become a bit more emotional later on. But, in the mean time, bear with me please :). The part with the piano was partly to show Tara's love of music, and partly so that she'll start to realise a bit about Jack's past (what with the 'you have no idea' comment). Thank you so much for your review, I love to read a good, long, review like this! Keep it up!**

* * *

Chapter Four-A Meeting

Tara's POV

When we entered the globe room, we found the other four Guardians all assembled there. Sandy was talking to Bunny, golden sand images forming above his head. Tooth, as the others seemed to call her, was currently talking to a group of small fairies. When Jack entered the room, one of them broke away from the group, and flew over to him, chirping happily.

"Hey there, Baby Tooth," he said grinning, "it's good to see you too."

'Baby Tooth' chirped a few times. Jack laughed. "Yes, I've been looking after my teeth properly. How's life at the palace?" A few more chirps. "I'm glad to hear it."

Tooth called Baby Tooth back to her and gave her some instructions. The tiny fairy nodded enthusiastically, and then flew out the window. Probably going to collect teeth or something.

"All right everyone," North's booming voice announced. "Now that we're all here, we have a matter of great importance to discuss."

Everyone's attention was now directed at him, the room now silent. North gestured to me. "This here is Tara Lumen-"

"Ooh!" Tooth exclaimed excitedly, interrupting North. "Tara Lumen! Some of the most well looked after teeth I've ever seen!" She flew over towards me, as though about to take a look then and there.

"Tooth! Hands out of mouth!" North said quickly, before she got the chance.

"Oops, sorry, getting carried away..." Tooth retreated back to her original position.

"Right, now, where was I..." North pondered. "Ah yes, as I was saying, this is Tara Lumen. Early this morning, she was attacked by twelve Nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Bunny asked, alarmed.

"Yes, that is what I said," North answered. "Luckily for Tara, Jack was nearby and was able to help her. He then brought her here."

"But what reason would twelve Nightmares have for attacking one mortal?" Tooth asked.

A sand image of several Nightmares appeared above Sandy's head. A sand stick figure was ordering them about.

"They were acting under someone else's orders," Bunny translated.

"Yes, Jack and I have already established that," North sighed, "the question is, who and why."

"Pitch?" Tooth asked, nervously.

North shook his head. "As I said to Jack earlier, there is no way Pitch could have gained enough power to control Nightmares already. It is too soon after the last time we banished him. It is not possible for him to gain that much power in the space of about nineteen years."

The other Guardians didn't look totally convinced. Sand images formed above Sandy's head: A tree, a family tree, then a droplet of something, then a child with a parent...

"What about the direct bloodline rule?" Tooth translated, so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

"Direct bloodline rule?" Jack asked, confused.

"An immortal can draw vast amounts of power from another person, if they are of their 'direct bloodline'-in other words, if they are the immortal's child, or descendant," Tooth explained.

"Not even Pitch would sink as low as to have a child, just to use them as a power source," Bunny argued.

"But if Pitch isn't behind these attacks, then who is?" Jack asked. "Who else has power over Nightmares?"

"Lots of people." North started counting on his fingers, "Nocturne, the spirit of the night...Samhain and Jack O'Lantern, the spirits of Halloween...April Fool, the spirit of April Fools day..."

"But I've met all of them," Jack interrupted, "and none of them actually USE their power over Nightmares in that way. They think of Nightmares as evil beings that have to be contained. Nocturne, Samhain, Jack O'Lantern, April Fool...they all use their power over Nightmares to stop them from running wild and haunting people's dreams. They would never use their powers to order the Nightmares to attack someone."

"Jack's right," Tooth reasoned, "it _can't_ be any of them."

"So who _is_ it?" Bunny asked.

"There is only one other option..." North mused. "We have a new threat."

Silence fell. All five Guardians looked uneasy at this suggestion.

Finally, it was Jack who broke the silence. "Is that even possible? I mean, I thought that only the Man in the Moon could create new immortals, and he only chooses those he thinks are worthy..."

"Man in Moon can chose a mortal to become immortal when they die," North clarified, "but sometimes, in rare cases, immortals simply...come into being. They are different to other immortals, as they have always been immortal, and they are also more powerful than most. The only two currently in existence, that we know of, are Man in Moon, and Pitch."

Jack looked skeptical. "So what you're saying is, a new immortal has magically come into existence, who is extremely powerful and has power over Nightmares. Not to mention that we, the Guardians, haven't noticed anything strange until now, _and_ that this immortal seems to like sending Nightmares after ordinary, innocent, mortal girls for no apparent reason. Somehow, I don't think that's the case."

"Well when you put it that way it _does_ seem ridiculous..." North muttered.

"But it's still a possibility," Tooth pointed out.

"Well either way, we're still back at square one," Bunny grumbled, "we don't know who we're dealing with."

"Um..." I started, unsure what to say, "well...last night I met someone-"

"You met the immortal who's behind all this?! Why didn't you say so?" Bunny demanded.

"I don't know," I answered, "I _may_ have met an immortal...but I don't know...I thought he was some creepy homeless guy..."

"Wait a second," North interrupted, "why don't you tell us the whole story from the beginning."

So I did. I told them about how I had gone up onto the roof and found him sitting there, how he seemed to be able to read my mind, how he seemed to know all about me, how he had demanded that I went with him, and then finally about his warning. The only thing I didn't mention was that I had seen Tooth, Jack and Sandy on the rooftop years before.

"It certainly sounds suspicious," Tooth commented. "What happened after that?"

"Well..." I thought for a moment. How much should I tell them? Should I tell them about the nightmare that I had had for as long as I could remember? _No_, I decided. There was no need to bother them about small things like that, after all, if what Jack had said about nightmares was true, that it was, well, _Nightmares_ that caused them, then to see them in your nightmares would be completely normal, right?

"After that I went to bed," I told them. "I woke up a few hours later, and couldn't get back to sleep again, so I got dressed and went back onto the roof with my backpack, so that I had something to do. When I was up there, I saw the Nightmares in the street below and I saw them enter the orphanage. I remembered what the guy had said about my fears coming for me, so I climbed down the drainpipe, and ran into the woods. They didn't see me leave, but they soon realized I had gone, and they followed me. They surrounded me in a clearing, and I called for help, and that's when Jack found me."

"So, sounds like this mysterious homeless guy could be the problem," Tooth stated.

"There's just one problem with that theory," Jack muttered, so quietly it wouldn't have been heard, if the room wasn't so silent. We all looked at him expectantly, and he looked up alarmed, realizing he had been heard. "I mean...if this guy _is_ a new immortal, then nobody would believe in him."

"What makes you say that?" I asked, curiously.

The Guardians looked slightly uncomfortable. Jack looked upwards through the window and at the moon, and then back at me. "Past experience," he murmured.

"Jack is right," North sighed, before I could ask Jack what he meant. "New immortals very rarely have believers, which means that Tara wouldn't have been able to see him if he _was_ a new immortal. Therefore, either he's been around for a while, or he really was just a 'creepy homeless guy'. We are back at square one. Again."

We stood in silence, trying to think of the solution to the problem. Suddenly, a yeti burst into the room, garbling in the language that yetis speak. North seemed to understand, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then said, "let them in."

The yeti nodded and walked out the room, slamming the doors closed behind him. Apparently none of the other Guardians could understand the yetis, as they looked about as confused as I felt.

"Let _who_ in?" Jack asked.

As though answering his question, the doors flew open again, revealing the yeti, along with four other figures; a man, a boy and two girls.

The man and the boy looked like they were father and son, both with black hair, green eyes, pale skin and angular features. The man wore black jeans, and a brown jacket. The boy also wore black jeans, but his jacket, which was black with a bright orange cross stitched on it, looked a lot warmer, more suitable for wearing outside than in. He was fiddling a small, glowing object, which I realized was a red-hot piece of wood, from the embers of a fire. I was surprised he didn't burn himself, but the heat didn't seem to bother him.

The first girl wore pale blue, battered jeans, a matching denim jacket and a white t-shirt. She had hazel eyes, and choppy blonde hair that had been unevenly cut to lots of different lengths. She had a tool belt at her waist, with many pockets. She was fiddling with a slingshot, while watching Bunny with a sly smirk.

Seeing this, Bunny glared at her with an expression that said _'don't you dare'_. She put the slingshot into one of the pockets of her tool belt, and then proceeded to stare knowingly just above Bunny's head. He looked up, worried, but there was nothing there. The girl snapped her fingers, and suddenly a bucket of water appeared above his head and upturned.

Bunny now looked very wet, equally angry, and rather peculiar with an upturned bucket on his head like some sort of strange hat. "That's it," he growled, reaching for his boomerang. "That's the last straw!"

I got the feeling something like this had happened before, as, even before he had moved, Sandy had used his dream sand and to confiscate his boomerangs and his Easter eggs.

The second girl glared at the blonde. "April! We're not here for you to play your tricks, we're here to discuss a serious matter!"

April sighed, rolling her eyes, and clicked her fingers. Instantly the water and the bucket disappeared.

The second girl was tall and slender, with pale skin that contrasted with her eyes, dress and straight, waist-length hair, all of which were midnight black. The dress was a long, elegant gown that swept the ground when she walked. Her eyes were outlined with black eyeliner and mascara, and her lips were also black. The girl was, by all definitions, stunningly beautiful.

She looked at me curiously. "I didn't think you normally allowed mortals here, North."

"I don't normally," North confirmed, "but these circumstances are not normal."

"What's with the air of mystery?" April asked. "What's so special about this mortal?"

"_'This mortal'_ has a name," I said, feeling slightly irritated.

"And she has attitude," the girl in black said, an amused smile playing about her lips. "I apologize. My name is Nocturne, what is yours?"

"Tara," I replied. "Tara Lumen."

"_Starlight_," she murmured.

"Um...what?"

"Your name. 'Tara' means _'star'_, 'Lumen' means _'light'_."

"And what relevance does that have to this meeting," April asked, annoyed.

"None at all, it's just interesting!" Nocturne retorted, before turning back to me. "Don't mind April," she said, "she's just annoyed because I spoiled her fun. She's real sweet when she's not pulling any tricks, which I'll admit isn't often, being the spirit of April Fools day. That's Samhain," she pointed to the man, "and that there is his son, Jack O'Lantern." she pointed at the boy.

"It's nice to meet you all," I said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Nocturne replied, "and it's nice to actually be seen for once."

"If you don't mind me asking," North interrupted, "what exactly has brought you here? It's not often we get visitors."

"Well as I'm sure you're aware, the four of us spend the majority of our time subduing any Nightmares that try to enter this world," Samhain said, speaking for the first time. "Therefore, we are normally the first to notice when something is amiss. We know, better than anyone, the normal behavior for Nightmares. Normally, they only escape into the world every so often, and when they do, they bring bad dreams to children completely at random. But recently, that has changed."

"What father means to say," Jack O'Lantern interrupted, "is that their attacks seem more...organized. There are more of them, and they have never been sighted in the same place twice."

"Except for one tiny town in North America," April cut in.

"Except for one town," Samhain echoed. "Burgess. They have been seen there a great many times over the past few years, and last night there were swarms of them in the woods on the outskirts of the town."

The Guardians exchanged worried looks. Clearly, whoever had sent them hadn't been happy that I'd escaped. But why me? I was just an ordinary girl, there was nothing special about me, so why were they after me?

"What reason might twelve Nightmares have for attacking a mortal girl?" Jack asked, uneasily. "Or, rather, what reason would an immortal have for ordering them to do so."

April laughed, apparently finding this funny. "None at all! The idea's completely ridiculous! What makes you think they would do that?"

"Because they have," I said quietly.

April instantly looked guilty, "Oh God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean offence or anything! I just didn't think...didn't think they _would_..."

"It's okay," I interrupted. I was beginning to get what Nocturne had meant about April being 'real sweet'. "I understand."

Samhain looked troubled. "This by far is the strangest news I've heard so far. Are you aware of any reason why an immortal would want you dead?" he asked me.

I swallowed, shaking my head. _Someone wants me dead._ I'd known that, had Jack have not been there to save me, the nightmares would most likely have killed me, and that someone had sent them to do it, but nobody had said the words before. Hearing them spoken aloud made the situation more real, somehow.

"This is very odd indeed," he murmured.

"But who could be behind this, and why are they doing it?" Jack O'Lantern asked.

"The very same questions we have been asking ourselves," Tooth sighed, "and yet we have thought and discussed, but we are no closer to the answer."

"Have you tried asking the Man in the Moon?" Nocturne asked.

"Like _he'll_ answer," muttered April, "he's never answered any of _my_ questions."

"He does answer," Jack said, quietly, "you just have to be patient. Sometimes he's just waiting until the time is right."

We all looked up at the full moon, which was shining brighter than ever.

"Manny," North began, "is there anything you can tell us? What is going on? Who is doing this? How do we stop them? What do we do?"

We stared up at the moon, waiting for a sign, a voice, _something_. But nothing came.

Finally, after five minutes, April spoke. "Like I said, he's not going to answer. This is a waste of time. I say we go capture a Nightmare and question it."

"That would be a great idea," Jack stated, leaning on his staff, "if it weren't for the fact that Nightmares don't have voices."

"Oh." April looked slightly embarrassed for forgetting that fact.

"Well, I think April is right about one thing," Samhain interjected, "I think we should get going. What with the amount of Nightmares that have been popping up recently, we have to make sure they are kept under control."

"Are you sure you won't stay for dinner?" North asked. "You're all quite welcome to."

"I'm afraid we can't," Nocturne replied, "what with all these Nightmares on the loose, we don't have much free time. We've been spending the majority of our time trying to keep them under control."

"That, and by the time desert hits the table, I think we'd have restrain Bunny from murdering April," Jack O'Lantern joked.

North chuckled. "Very well. In which case, I wish you all a safe journey."

"Thank you," they chorused, before turning and leaving.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, each of us absorbed in our own thoughts. I thought about the four immortals I had just met. I had heard stories about Nocturne, April and Samhain when I was younger-one of my teachers, Miss Bennett, had been passionate about story telling, and she always told us about the various mythical beings and their various roles in the world. I had read stories about Jack O'Lantern on the Internet. The strange thing was that they had all told the story of a man who never really did any good things in his life, and so when the devil came for his soul, he trapped the devil using crosses and made him promise not to take his soul, and to allow him an extra year to live. When Jack died a year later, he still hadn't done anything good with his life, so Heaven wouldn't accept him, and the devil was true to his word and wouldn't allow him into Hell. He begged the devil for some way of being able to see in the long, dark nights that were to come as he wandered the Earth forever, and so the devil gave him one of the embers from the fires of Hell.

Somehow, the story didn't fit in with my knowledge about immortals, and how Jack O'Lantern had seemed just now. If immortals were once mortals, who had died and were then brought back to life by the Man in the Moon because they had done something good in their life, then how would that fit into the story? The Jack O'Lantern I'd read about on the Internet didn't seem like the sort of person to be brought back by the Man in the Moon. And, more to the point, if all immortals had died, then _how_ had they died? I watched as Jack floated about the room, freezing a couple of elves as he did so. He couldn't have been any older than eighteen when he died, which was way too young for someone to die. How had he died? _Why_ did he die?

A yeti stumbled into the room and garbled a few unrecognizable words to North.

North smiled. "I hope you are all hungry," he said to the other Guardians and I, "because dinner is ready."

He led the way through the many corridors of the workshop, presumably towards a dining room. I pushed all questions from my mind as the pleasant smells of our dinner wafted over me.

I could figure out the answers to all of my questions later. Right now, I wanted to get to know each of the Guardians. Personal questions like those could wait.

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**As I've said before, let me know how to improve! And tell me what you think! I'll try to update next Monday (my time, it may be a bit different for some of you).**


	5. The Rooftop, and the Past

**Hi…**

**Okay, I'm sorry it's a day late, but I still had a few finishing touches to add yesterday, so I couldn't post it. But it's here now, which is what matters.**

**I should probably warn you that soon, a lot will be happening, so in a couple of weeks updates may get less frequent than I'd like. All in all, my life's about to get pretty hectic. But I will still do my best to update!**

**Thank you to ****_Xion5_**** for favouriting my story, and to the following people who reviewed:**

**_Foxchick1:_**** You're correct, it is important, but you saw Tara's logic in the previous chapter…since she's only ever had that one nightmare over and over again, and not dreaming like a normal person would, she thinks that the nightmare is normal, and doesn't see the point in bothering the Guardians with something so meaningless. Plus, the way I see it, I imagine it's kind of a personal thing for her…would you tell a complete stranger about your worst nightmares? I wouldn't. But, the Guardians ****_will_**** find out one way or another…**

**_Froster:_**** Okay…how do I reply to your review without giving stuff away… I guess I have to stick to saying that, in some way or another, you are ****_sooooo_**** close to guessing a major part of the story line. But yet, you are also missing some vital parts of it in your theory/idea….**

**_Guest:_**** Um…Anything I can say about your review will just give too much away, so I'm afraid my only reply is thank you, once again, for reviewing!**

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Chapter Five-The rooftop, and the past

Jack's POV

Dinner had been a pleasant surprise, but one I should have expected since Tara was here. You see, immortals don't actually _need_ to eat; we can if we want to, either just for the tastes and textures of the food, or, if we were particularly exhausted, to give us extra energy. I had grown so used to eating being a rare treat, I had almost forgotten that mortals _do_ need to eat to survive. So I should have expected it really.

Tara had talked to each of us constantly throughout the meal, trying to get to know us. She seemed to get along with everyone pretty easily, and she was extremely kind-natured. I think within the time that I had known her, she hadn't said an unkind word to anyone. Yet, I got the feeling that there was another side to her, one that I hadn't got to see. And the strangest thing about her? She seemed to believe in every immortal you can think of, which was rare, even for young children, yet alone mature eighteen-year-olds.

I couldn't deny that I wanted to get to know her properly. She seemed like the sort of girl who would be a good and loyal friend. Which was odd, since I got the feeling from the things she had said about the orphanage that Tara didn't have many, if any, friends. But why not? Surely someone like Tara would be the person who _everyone_ wanted to be friends with? But then again, from what I'd heard from Jamie, in modern schools that's not normally how it works-the ones that everyone wants to know are usually the so-called _'cool'_ kids, the ones that had all the new fashions and trends. Personally, I thought that was stupid.

After dinner, we had all said goodnight. North went to oversee the making of the last toys for Christmas, Sandy went to give dreams to the children of the world, Tooth went to check everything was running smoothly at the palace, Bunny went to check on the eggs back at the warren, and Tara had gone to bed. Which left me wandering aimlessly round the corridors, thinking to myself.

I thought about the meeting we had earlier. We had discussed and discovered _so much…_yet we were no closer to the truth. Who had sent those Nightmares to attack Tara? _Why?_ Why would someone want her dead? Did she possess some kind of magical power or something?

I made my way back towards my room. I didn't feel tired, but I really needed some air to clear my head, and I had a feeling that if I tried flying out using one of the main entrances, one of the Yetis would think I was trying to leave the North Pole altogether and stop me. I understand their thinking-I will be needed for any meetings or battles the Guardians should have, but once I'm out and flying around the world, it can be difficult for the other Guardians to find me.

My room, like every other guest room, had a massive window that covered the entire far wall. It wasn't much use for going outside though, since it didn't open. However...

I walked into the bathroom, picked up a tiny key, and used it to unlock the window. I opened it and climbed onto the windowsill. I breathed in the cold, arctic air. Much better. I jumped out, floated for a moment, and then floated upwards to sit on the roof...

...and then nearly fell out of the sky in surprise. Because _Tara_ was already there.

"Tara!" I exclaimed, "How did you get up here?!"

She looked just as surprised to see me as I her. "Um...climbed out the bathroom window and climbed up. I couldn't sleep, and I needed some air."

"You do realize that climbing up here was really dangerous? What if you fell?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't that hard a climb. And if I had fallen, the snow probably would have given me a soft landing."

"Right."

We surveyed each other in silence for a moment. Finally, Tara spoke.

"You _can_ sit down, you know."

"Err...right." I floated next to her, and lowered myself to sit on the roof beside her. "So...how do you like the North Pole?"

"It's amazing! Although I'm a bit confused...I thought the elves made the toys..."

I laughed. "North just lets them _think_ that. It's the Yetis that do the work really. I mean, have you _seen_ what the elves get up to? It's a wonder some of them are _alive_, considering the amount of times they've electrocuted themselves, or something similar! The things those elves make are a health and safety inspector's nightmare!"

Now we were both laughing. It was nice, the two of us laughing together under the cold, arctic night sky. Finally, after a few minutes, the laughing subsided.

"So...what did you think of Samhain and the others?" I asked.

"Samhain seemed...wise. April reminded me of you, a little bit, what with her apparent linking for pranking Bunny."

I chuckled at that comment, but let her continue.

"I also get what Nocturne said about her being _'real sweet'_. I don't know what to think of Jack O'Lantern, though. I've read stories on the Internet about a sinner who, when the devil came for his soul, forced him not to take his soul and to allow him an extra year to redeem himself, but ended up wandering the Earth forever because he never did, so Heaven wouldn't accept him, and the devil was true to his word and wouldn't allow him into Hell. But that story just...doesn't seem right, if you know what I mean."

"I do," I sighed. Poor Jack...it seemed like nobody knew his true story. "That story is only half true. Jack was originally half mortal, half immortal, because his father was Samhain and his mother was a mortal. But his mother was married to another man, and only she and Jack knew the truth, so Samhain could only visit Jack from time to time. Jack had an older brother, who was mortal and never did a good thing in all his life. Jack knew, thanks to Samhain, that Heaven and Hell were real, and if his brother continued to be the way he was, then he would go to Hell. Jack cared a lot about his brother, and tried to get him to change his ways. But he wouldn't listen. When the devil came for his brother's soul, Jack trapped him using crosses and made him give his brother an extra year. His brother saw what he had done and tried to change his ways, but a year later the devil tried to reclaim his soul anyway. This time, Jack fought him using an ember he stole from the devil's fires. Jack won, and he made the devil swear never to take the souls of any of his family members. Jack's brother went to Heaven, but when it was Jack's turn to die, despite what he had done for his brother, Heaven wouldn't accept him because of his association with the devil. The devil was true to his word and wouldn't claim his soul, so Jack was forced to walk the Earth with only the ember he stole to light his way. After that, I hear that the Man in the Moon took pity on him and made him immortal, though I also hear he's still afraid the devil may break his promise and try to claim his soul, hence the cross on his jacket. These days, he guides people who are lost onto the right path, whether they be physically lost, or mentally."

"By mentally you mean, if, like his brother, they are likely to go to hell, he tries to help them change their ways. But I've never heard that story before." Tara translated.

"Unfortunately, some stories are distorted over time. Jack O'Lantern is one of them." I paused for a moment, unsure what to say. "Anyway, you still haven't told me what you thought of Nocturne, or the other Guardians."

"Well..." she seemed thoughtful. "At first, Nocturne kinda reminded me of Morticia Addams, what with the way she was dressed..."

_"Who?" _I asked, wondering who on earth would wear the kind of clothes Nocturne was wearing on a daily basis.

She raised her eyebrows. "Have you _never_ seen 'the Addams Family'? Or at least heard of it?"

"Nope. I'm guessing it's a film though."

"Among other things, yes."

"You see, I don't really get much time to watch films between my duties as a Guardian and visiting Jamie."

"Jamie? Who's he?" Tara looked curious. I realized I hadn't mentioned him before.

"He's the first person to ever believe in me." I answered. "I've known him...well, since I became a Guardian so...for nearly nineteen years now-he's twenty-eight and he still believes in me." I smiled, remembering how it had felt, when I realized he could see me.

"Nineteen years...but if you can only be seen by people who believe in you...how long before that were you alone for?"

"Three hundred years," I said, softly. I don't particularly like to think of the time years before I became a Guardian.

Tara's eyes were wide, and full of some kind of emotion I couldn't put a name to. "That's horrible! It must have been so hard, being alone for that long...and watching your family grow old and die...I can't even _begin_ to imagine what that must have been like..." she trailed off, staring into the distance. Then she whispered to herself, so quietly I thought I might have imagined it, "_'you have no idea.'_"

I froze. What I had been thinking after what she had said at the piano earlier...had I said that _aloud_? I hadn't meant for Tara to hear that...

"What did you say?" I asked her.

She looked alarmed. Apparently _she_ hadn't meant for _me_ to hear that either. "I...I'm sorry...It's just...what you said earlier in the piano room after I..." Her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I had no idea...if I had known I wouldn't have said any of those things I did about being immortal...Oh, God, I'm so sorry..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," I reassured her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I paused, "actually, it wasn't as bad as you think. Well, actually that's kind of a lie, it probably _was_ as bad as you think, but not in the ways you're thinking. I didn't have to watch my family grow old and die because...because I had no memory of my life as a mortal."

"You don't know who you were?" Tara asked. I wasn't sure if she was sympathetic or shocked. Possibly a bit of both.

"I do _now_." Suddenly, I found myself telling the story of how I became a Guardian. About the battle with Pitch, about how he tricked me, how Jamie was the last kid to believe in the Guardians, and how he came to believe in me. I left out what happened in Antarctica though. I wasn't sure how Tara would react to that, so I just told her that Pitch had tried to use Baby Tooth to get to me, but she had gotten away. I'm not sure if lying about it was the right thing to do, but the things Pitch had said...although _I_ knew they weren't true, would Tara?

"So who _were _you, before you became immortal?" Tara asked, before adding hurriedly, "if you don't mind me asking, that is..."

"No, it's okay," I found myself telling her, which was strange. Normally, I didn't like opening up to people, but Tara was...Tara was different. She was easy to talk to, and she didn't criticize or make any unkind remarks, she just...listened. Sometimes, that's what a person needs. To open up, and to be listened to.

"I used to be a boy called Jackson Overland," I told her. "I looked different to how I do now, my hair and my eyes were brown. I had a mother, a father...and a younger sister, Pippa. We lived together in Burgess. Every day I would play games with her and her friends...if any of them were feeling down, I'd cheer them up. We used to have so much fun... Then, one day, I took Pippa out skating on the lake. But I'd misjudged the thickness of the ice. We hadn't been skating for long, when it started cracking. We were both stranded, far away from the edge."

I closed my eyes, not wanting to remember how scared I had been, not just for myself, but for Pippa too. "All I could think was that I wanted Pippa to be safe. I saw that within a few steps of me was a long branch with a hooked end that I could use to fling her to safety. The only problem was that, even if I reached the branch, she would still be out of reach. So I turned the whole situation into a game. I played hopscotch, I reached the branch, and encouraged her to play too, and when she got within reach, I used the branch to get her to safety, as I had planned. I saved her."

I opened my eyes, and sneaked a glance at Tara. Her eyes were full of dread, as though she knew what was going to happen next. "In that moment, I was so happy. Pippa was safe. But then the ice beneath me gave way, and I fell through. The last thing I remember, before I died, was Pippa calling my name. When I woke up, I couldn't remember any of that, I didn't know who I was, and I was afraid. Then I saw the moon, and I wasn't afraid anymore. He told me that my name was Jack Frost. Those are the only words he has ever spoken to me, despite me asking and asking over and over again why he chose me, and who I was. But now I see that, if you wait, he _does_ answer, just not necessarily in the way you expect."

We sat in silence for a moment. I wondered if telling Tara all of this had been the right decision. Should I have burdened her with this knowledge?

Finally, she spoke the last words I expected to hear. "You're so brave." I noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears. Had my story really been that sad? "You sacrificed yourself to save your sister, you kept going through all those years when you were alone and you never gave up, you faced Pitch, you saved me from those Nightmares...you're the bravest person I've ever met."

"Really?" I asked, not really believing the words.

"Really," she said, with such certainty I couldn't help but believe what she had said.

She studied my staff for a moment. "Your staff-that's the branch you used to save your sister, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"You must have remembered something then, right? I mean, why else would you have kept it?"

"It's not just a branch...or just a staff. Not since I became immortal. It's the source of my power...without it, I'm kinda powerless."

"Oh." Tara stared out across the dark, icy landscape.

Minutes passed in silence, but I felt as though some kind of unspoken conversation was passing between us. It was...different. Not a bad kind of different, but different in the way that talking to Sandy was different.

"You know, I think you'd get along well with Jamie," I said, after a few more minutes. "If you want, I could take you to meet him tomorrow."

"Really?" Tara asked, surprised but seeming to have cheered up slightly. "Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn't want to be any trouble..."

I laughed. "You need to stop worrying about _'being any trouble'_. People don't offer things if it's going to be troublesome, or they don't want to do what they're offering to do."

"They don't?"

"Not normally. So, do you want to go?"

"Yes." She smiled.

I was suddenly aware of how long we'd been talking for, and how tired I was. I stood up and turned to Tara.

"I'm going to go get some sleep. I don't like the idea of you climbing down to your window, so do you mind if I fly you down?"

She shook her head, so I carried her to the window, and then floated outside while she climbed through.

She turned to me, still smiling. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I replied.

* * *

**Soooo….What did you think? What do you think will happen next? How do you think Tara feels about Jack's past (preferably Frost, but maybe O'Lantern as well)? How do you think she'll react to meeting Jamie? How do you think Jamie has changed through the years-what do you think he is like now? Please review and tell me your thoughts!**


	6. Visiting Jamie

**Hi, sorry it's over a week late…again.**

**Well, here it is, the next chapter, and Tara's going to meet Jamie!**

**Thank you to rachealninja10 favouriting and following my story, and thank you to the following people for reviewing…**

**_xTheDarkShadowsx:_**** Glad to hear it-thank you so much!**

**_Froster (guest):_**** Wow…that's one long review-thank you! Well, all I can say without giving too much away is that some of your theories are correct, but some aren't…thank you so much for the review!**

* * *

Chapter Six-Visiting Jamie

Jack's POV

"Tara and I were thinking of visiting Jamie today," I informed North over the breakfast table, "that's not going to be a problem is it?"

North choked on his toast. "You were thinking of doing _what?_" he replied hoarsely, after he had finished coughing. "What if you're attacked by Nightmares?"

"It'll be fine," I told him, "I doubt they'll attack again so soon, and even if they do, I can take them. Besides, after seeing the Northern Lights yesterday, Jamie'll be worried. We owe him an explanation."

"That is true." North looked anxious. "I just don't like the idea of the two of you being out there, on your own, when Nightmares may be hunting you."

"It'll be fine," I repeated.

North looked doubtful. "It better be. When are you planning on leaving?"

I turned to Tara. She shrugged. "I'm ready when you are. It's completely up to you."

"In that case, do you want to go after breakfast?" I asked, and then added hastily, "and after we've brushed our teeth. Tooth'll kill us if we don't..."

All three of us lapsed into laughter. It didn't help that Tooth herself arrived a few minutes later, asking what was funny, or that when she realized that Tara and I would be leaving for Burgess soon, she reminded us to brush our teeth (and to floss!).

But, despite all that, it was only twenty minutes later, when Tara and I emerged onto the balcony.

"Be careful, you two." Tooth said, anxiously.

"Don't worry," I reassured her, "we will." I held out my arm to Tara. "Shall we?"

She nodded, smiling, and linked arms with me. We took off into the sky, which, thanks to the six-month days and nights, was still dark.

* * *

A couple of hours later, we were flying over Burgess. Tara pointed out a building that was larger and taller than the rest. "That's the orphanage," she said, "that's my home. Supposedly. It's not very home-like."

"If you wouldn't describe it as _'home-like'_, then how _would_ you describe it?" I asked her.

"Honestly? I don't mean to exaggerate, but to me...it's more like a prison." She paused for a moment, and then gave a soft chuckle. "You know, I always wanted to get away from that place. When I was younger, I always imagined that as soon as I turned eighteen, I'd just pack my bags and leave. The funny thing is, it was my eighteenth birthday the day before yesterday, and I really did leave yesterday."

I wasn't sure how to reply to that. Luckily, I didn't have to, because Tara spoke again. "That's odd, there isn't a lot of crime in Burgess, the police don't normally have to leave the station. I wonder why they're parked outside someone's house." She pointed to a police car that was parked on the curb next to a small, two storey building.

My heart skipped a beat. "That's _Jamie's_ house!"

Tara looked worried. "You don't think something's happened to him, do you?"

"I don't know." I altered our course and landed in a tree at the end of the garden.

"Stay here," I told her, "the police probably know about your disappearance by now, we don't want them to see you. I'll go and see if I can find out what's going on."

She nodded. "Be careful."

I gave her a reassuring smile, and then jumped to the ground. I approached the house, careful not to make a sound, which would alert the police of my presence. Whilst they wouldn't be able to see me, they might come and investigate, resulting in them finding Tara. I tried not to think of what might happen to her if they did, and they forced her to stay at the orphanage.

As I got closer to the house, I could hear voices coming from inside. I crouched under the window and listened.

"...I understand, Mr Bennett, that she was a patient of yours?" I didn't recognize that voice.

"_Dr_ Bennett," Jamie's voice corrected, "and yes, she was my patient, about six years ago."

"And I believe that the staff working at the orphanage required your services because the girl was crazy?"

"So they thought," Jamie confirmed, "but I assure you officer, Tara Lumen was, and still is, quite sane."

_Tara?_ So the police were here investigating Tara's disappearance? But why were they saying that she was crazy? Tara wasn't crazy!

"That's not what I heard," the police officer said, "from what I heard, she was _seeing things_. You know, things that aren't real. And I heard that she still believes in fairy tales like Jack Frost. She's eighteen, and she still believes in kids' stories!"

The hand that wasn't tightly gripping my staff balled into a fist. I was _not_ a fairy tale, or a kids' story! And saying that Tara was crazy, just because she believed...I just couldn't believe my ears!

"So you're saying that, just because this girl believes in Jack Frost, she's mad? That's nonsense!" Clearly Jamie was also annoyed.

"Well, Mr Bennett, she _is_ eighteen..."

"_Dr_ Bennett. And taking that into account, I somehow think that _my_ judgment in the matter of Tara Lumen's sanity, since I am much more experienced and qualified in the matter, is much more reliable than the opinions of an average civilian."

"Well yes, Mr-"

_"-Dr-"_

"-Bennett, but I'm afraid all points of view must be taken into account. And, I'm sorry to say, the majority believe that she's a bit crazy. Well, I'm afraid I must be leaving now. Good day."

There was the sound of chairs scraping on the floor, and then footsteps as Jamie showed the police officer out. He then returned and muttered darkly "good riddance."

Silence. I had the distinct impression that he was sneaking about the room, though why, I had no idea.

The window opened suddenly, sending a heap of snow falling onto my head.

"Hey!" I objected, even though I don't feel the cold.

"I thought you were here," Jamie commented, leaning out the window and looking down at me. "It suddenly got colder. Particularly when officer Jenkins said those things about you."

I straightened. "Yeah, about that...sorry about him bothering you."

Jamie frowned. "What do you mean? It wasn't your fault-" he trailed off. "Please tell me you didn't have anything to do with Tara's disappearance."

"She was attacked by Nightmares, Jamie. _Nightmares_. Twelve of them. I had to take her somewhere safe."

"_Nightmares?!_ So _that's_ what the lights were about."

I nodded. I then remembered Tara, sitting in the tree at the end of the garden. "Have the police gone?"

"Yes. Why? It's not like they can see you." Realization dawned on him. "You brought her here, didn't you."

I nodded, and turned to the tree Tara was hiding in. "Coast's clear, Tara!" I called.

She dropped down from the tree and walked up to us. She blinked in surprise when she saw Jamie.

"Dr Bennett!" she exclaimed.

"Just 'Jamie' is fine, Tara." he smiled. "I trust that the orphanage staff stopped sending you to various doctors."

She nodded. "Yes, after what you told them they left me alone. Thank you."

"It is quite all right."

"Dad!" called a young child's voice, "Dad, you said you'd come out to play!"

"One minute Christopher!" Jamie called back.

I grinned. Jamie's son, Christopher, was extremely excitable and never got bored of snowball fights. "I wouldn't keep him waiting, if I were you. You know how much he loves snowball fights."

"You're one to talk," Jamie grinned, "he was very disappointed when you didn't turn up yesterday."

"Yeah...sorry about that..." I turned to Tara. "So, would you like to come and help me make it up to him."

"What about the police?" she asked, "we don't want them to associate me with Jamie anymore than they have already. If someone saw me, and reported me, they might come asking questions."

I hadn't thought of that. Luckily, Jamie had an idea. He went upstairs into the attic, and a couple of minutes later came back with ladies' coat, hat, scarf and gloves.

"They might be a bit big," he said, handing them to Tara, "but the police are looking for a girl who can't afford a coat like this, because she's from the orphanage."

"Thanks," Tara said, pulling it on.

I looked closely at the clothing. "Are these _Georgina's_?"

Jamie nodded as he walked out the room to find his own coat.

"Who's Georgina?" Tara asked as she wrapped the scarf round her neck.

"Christopher's mother," I explained. "She left without an explanation not long after he was born. I didn't know Jamie still had anything of hers."

Tara paused in the middle of pulling the hat over her head. "Would Jamie mind me wearing them?"

"If he minded, he wouldn't have given them to you to wear."

Just then, Christopher walked in. "Dad, where are you?" Then he saw me. "Jack!" He then hugged me, or at least tried to, which was difficult since he was wearing a big, padded coat to keep him warm. "You came!"

"Hey there kiddo," I said.

He let go and took a step backward, pouting. "Where were you yesterday?"

I struggled to think of an answer. Christopher didn't know about Pitch or Nightmares, because Jamie felt those were things he was better off not knowing until he was older, so I couldn't tell him the truth. Luckily, Christopher gets distracted easily.

"Who are you?" he asked Tara, curiously.

"Tara," she replied, "I'm a friend of Jack's."

"I'm Christopher," he informed her, "I'm also a friend of Jack's."

Jamie walked in. "Is everyone ready?" he asked.

We nodded, and we went outside, Jamie being practically dragged by his son. Kids were already playing in the snow, laughing and having fun. I couldn't help but smile, knowing that _I_ had done this.

I conjured up a snowball in my hand and threw it at Jamie. It hit him in the back of the head. He ducked down, made a snowball of his own and threw it back at me. I dodged.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that to hit me!" I called, as I hit him with another snowball.

"You could at least _pretend_ that wasn't easy!"

I was about to send a witty comment his way, when a snowball hit me in the back. I turned in the direction it had come from, but there was nobody there. Another snowball hit me from my opposite side.

After over three-hundred years of practice, I was extremely good at dodging snowballs, yet somebody had just hit me twice, and I had no idea who. Clearly, they had good aim. I smiled mischievously. This was going to be fun.

A third snowball hit me, this time from behind. Without pausing to think, I conjured up a snowball and threw it in the direction it had come from. I missed, but I saw a figure clad in grey running to hide behind a tree. _Tara_.

I chased after her, and, realizing she had been caught, she ran away, laughing. I caught up with her, but she tripped, sending us both sprawling on the snowy ground, laughing.

While we lay there, laughing too hard to get up, I received a snowball in the face. I sat up, spitting out snow, whilst Christopher cheered "_Whoohoo!_ I hit Jack! I actually hit him!"

If possible, that made Tara laugh even harder. That is, until he threw one at her, also hitting her in the face, and she was forced to stop laughing, or choke on snow.

"_And_ I hit Tara!"

We both got up and playfully chased him, all three of us laughing, whilst Jamie stood and watched, amused. Before long though, it was a full scale, free-for-all, snowball battle between everyone in the area who had dared to venture outside.

* * *

Tara carefully placed the coat, scarf, hat and gloves on the radiator to dry. "How long till the takeaway opens?" she asked Jamie.

"Well, it opens at six, so we have twenty minutes to decide what we want."

We had all spent the entire day outside in the snow, without even coming in to have lunch. As a result, Tara, Jamie and Christopher were starving, so Jamie was ordering pizza for all of us from the local takeaway.

"Pepperoni please!" Christopher said as he walked down the stairs, having just changed into his pyjamas.

"Tara?" Jamie asked.

She looked at the menu. "Ham and pineapple, please."

"Jack?"

I shrugged. "Same here please."

At six o'clock, Jamie rang the takeaway and placed the order, and ten minutes later, the pizza arrived. We sat down at the table.

At first we ate in silence, savoring the taste and, in Tara, Christopher and Jamie's cases, keen to satisfy their hunger. Eventually, though, we started talking. Christopher, who had taken a liking to Tara, kept asking her loads of questions about herself, and I listened in, keen to learn more about her. Unfortunately, most of what she said I already knew.

Once we finished eating, we cleared away the plates and cutlery into the dishwasher, and binned the pizza boxes.

"Alright Christopher, I think it's about time you went to bed." Jamie told him.

"Aw, can't I stay up a bit longer?" Christopher asked.

"You need to get _some _sleep tonight. Go on now, off to bed."

He went reluctantly up the stairs to his bedroom. A few minutes later, snores could be heard. Clearly, he had been extremely tired after today's events.

Tara went to the radiator and checked the coat, hat and gloves Jamie had lent her. "They're dry. I can take them back upstairs, if you want."

Jamie nodded. "Thank you. If you go up the stairs, at the end of the corridor, there's a door. Open it; there should be some stairs. At the top, you'll find the attic. They should go in the wardrobe there."

"Ok." Tara turned and went quietly up the stairs, so she didn't wake Christopher. I watched her go.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Jamie leant back, eyebrows raised and smiling in a sort of amused fashion. "You like her, don't you," he stated.

I looked at him, confused. "Of course I like her. She's my friend."

Jamie face-palmed. "I'm forgetting you weren't brought up in modern society, so you don't know all the modern analogies," he groaned. "That _wasn't_ what I meant."

I frowned, even more confused. "Then what _did_ you mean?"

"You _like_ her, don't you," he repeated, this time emphasizing the _'like'_.

"Um...still don't know what you mean. Could you explain it, please?"

"Uh...not really..."

"What do you mean _'not really'_? Either you _can_ explain it, or you can't."

"It's not so much that I _can't_ explain it, it's just that I don't want to." Jamie sighed.

I rolled my eyes. Trust Jamie to chicken out of explaining something he didn't want to explain. "Fine, I'll ask Tara then."

Jamie's eyes grew wide. "No! Don't do that!"

"Why not?"

"That would be very awkward...and...um...bad. Yes, very bad." He sighed in resignation. "Ok, I'll explain. Uh..." He suddenly perked up, and said loudly, "ah, Tara! Did you find the wardrobe ok?"

"Yes," she replied, when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Jamie sent me a look, which quite clearly said _'don't say anything about what we were just discussing'_

Before any of us could say anything else, there was a loud bang coming from outside, followed by a clatter.

"What was that?" Tara asked, voicing my thoughts.

There was another clatter, followed by a bang.

"I don't know," Jamie replied, frowning. He walked over to the window and looked out. "The garage door's open, and I _know_ I didn't leave it like that. Probably kids." He pulled his coat on and opened the front door. "I'll be back in a minute."

He left the house, closing the door behind him. Tara and I sat in silence for a moment, waiting. Then, suddenly, the silence was broken by a terrified scream.

We looked at each other for a split second, and then Tara said, her voice full of dread, "Christopher."

She tore up the stairs, and I followed close behind. She reached Christopher's bedroom door, yanked the door handle downwards, and pulled on the door. Nothing happened. She rattled the door to be sure.

"It's locked!" she cried out in frustration.

"It can't be locked," I told her.

She rattled on the door handle some more, to prove her point. "Well it _is_ locked."

"No, you don't understand, the door can't be locked because _there is no lock._"

She stared at the door handle for a second, and then yelled through the door, "Christopher! Can you hear me?"

There was a muffled reply.

"I'll take that as a yes," Tara muttered, before yelling, "I need you to get away from the door, ok? You're going to be fine, just stay away from the door-you got that?"

Another reply, this time clearly recognizable as a _'yes'_. Tara backed a few feet away from the door.

"Tara, what are you doing?" I asked anxiously, as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "I hope this works..."

With that, she gave the door a hard kick below the door handle, whilst yelling _"Hi-yah!"_

The area of the door around the handle splintered and gave way, with Nightmare sand pouring out the mechanism. The door swung open, to reveal Christopher cowering in a corner, surrounded by several Nightmares.

At the sound of the door breaking in, the Nightmares turned to face us. Before I could react, one of them rushed at Tara, but quick as lightning, she sidestepped, came up behind it and touched its flank. It turned from black to gold, from Nightmare to Dream. It took the form of an eagle and soared straight through the window.

The other Nightmares advanced menacingly. I stood beside Tara, ready to fight them.

"Where did you learn that trick?" I asked her.

"Martial arts classes," she answered. "I have a black belt in karate, and kicking the door always seems to work in the movies, so I figured it was worth a shot."

"I _meant_ the turning-Nightmare-sand-to-dream-sand trick."

"Oh, _that_ trick. I didn't learn it anywhere, it was just instinct."

The Nightmares charged. I sent an icy blast at the first two, which immediately disintegrated. The next two went for Tara, who kicked the first and lashed out at the second with the heel of her hand. Both turned into dream-sand eagles and soared through the open window.

The fight continued in this way, I used my powers to destroy the nightmares, while Tara used her martial arts training to fight them and turn them back into dreams. Within about a minute, the fight was over.

Christopher was still cowering in the corner, shaking violently in terror. Tara rushed over to him and wrapped her arms protectively around him. He cried into her shoulder as she carried him over to the bed.

"Sshh, sshh, it's okay, it's okay. You're safe now, we won't let anything happen to you," she chanted softly, to comfort him.

"I want my daddy," he whimpered.

Tara stiffened. Christopher didn't notice, but the change was clearly visible. She looked at me, worriedly. "Where _is_ Jamie? He would have heard the scream, surely? Any father would come running if they thought their child was in danger."

My blood ran cold. She was right. I ran to the window. Outside, I could just make out Jamie, surrounded by more Nightmares than I could count. He was attempting to fight them in the same way Tara had done, by turning them into dreams, but he was vastly outnumbered. I _had_ to help him.

I turned to Tara. "Close and lock the window after me, then go downstairs and be ready to open the front door. Don't open it for _anyone_ apart from Jamie or me. Do you understand?"

She nodded, looking out at the battle outside. "Be careful," she said, anxiously.

I didn't answer, since I wasn't sure that jumping out of a window into a swarm of Nightmares qualified as _'being careful'_. I climbed onto the windowsill, and then, without looking back, I jumped.

* * *

**Mwa ha ha ha ha! You didn't seriously think I would be able to resist this chance of sneaking in a cliffhanger, did you?**

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	7. Fear

**Hi!**

**Guess what? The chapter is ****_actually_**** on time for once!**

**This chapter wasn't originally part of my plan for the story, but I felt that I needed to show a few more things about Tara, and other aspects of the story. I'm not sure how good this chapter is, but I really hope that you will ****_review_**** and tell me what you thought.**

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* * *

Chapter Seven-Fear

Tara's POV

I shut the window and twisted the handle to lock it, as Jack had told me to. I then looked anxiously down at the battle below. Now that Jack was also fighting, things looked a lot more hopeful.

Christopher, who was stood on a box to see what was happening, turned to me. "Will they be alright?" he asked me, looking scared.

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they will be, but we need to go downstairs and be ready to let them in."

He nodded, and we both made our way out the room. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I turned to see a Nightmare, forming from the sand that had jammed the door mechanism in an attempt to stop Jack and I reaching Christopher before.

I turned to Christopher. I couldn't let him get hurt, and I could probably take one Nightmare by myself-assuming there wasn't any more lying in wait. "Go downstairs," I told him, sounding more confident than I felt, "I'll get rid of it."

Clearly I sounded confident to him too, or maybe he was remembering the fight that had occurred moments before, as he simply nodded and ran down the stairs and into the hall.

The Nightmare charged at me, and I sidestepped, as I had done with the first, planning on coming up behind it and turning it into a dream. It spun around at the last second though, meaning I missed and that it was now between the stairs and me. I backed into Christopher's bedroom, and it followed. I tried to strike out at it, but it dodged. I realized it had been observing me, watching my moves, so that it could predict how I would fight it.

I hit the wall. The Nightmare kept coming, and as I watched, with each step, it got bigger, until its back touched the ceiling. It stopped right in front of me, and lowered its massive head so that its eyes were inches from my own. I touched it, trying to turn it into a dream, but nothing happened. I realized it was because I was scared, whereas before, I hadn't been. I was so scared, I could no longer move or think straight, I was more scared than I had ever been in my life.

Suddenly, streams of sand broke away from it and swarmed around me, then, forming cords, the streams wrapped around me, binding me tightly. Then, another stream forced its way into my mouth and into my lungs. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I couldn't make a sound. Then, as I gazed into the amber eyes in front of me, I felt myself falling through darkness, falling, falling, falling...

...And then it all went away. I was no longer in Jamie's house and there was no Nightmare. The only thing that remained was the fear.

I was in a graveyard. It was completely empty. Then I realized that there _was_ one person. A rather bored-looking priest read aloud a funeral service, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere else.

_'Show a bit of respect,'_ I wanted to tell him. But what would be the point? Nobody was here, and he was clearly only here because he had to be. It was like nobody cared.

_'I care,'_ I thought silently to the dead. I approached the grave, intending on paying my respects. I reached it and read the gravestone.

_TARA LUMEN_

_DIED AGE 18_

_2013-2031_

I stared at the stone in horror and in fear. It couldn't be...there _had_ to be some kind of mistake...I _couldn't_ be...

Dead.

I was dead. I was dead, and...and nobody cared. No one even bothered to turn up to the funeral, apart from the priest, who was there because he _had_ to be. Nobody cared, I wasn't worth anyone's time or effort, I may as well have never existed...

And then I was falling through darkness again, falling, with no signs of ever stopping...

And then, I found myself on a street. People walked along past me, not even noticing I was there. I tried to talk to them, but they ignored me.

There were people there that I knew. People from the orphanage, people I knew who lived in town...not one of them saw me. I was completely and utterly alone.

I saw another familiar face. Snow-white hair, sapphire-blue eyes, pale skin. Jack.

"Jack!" I shouted in joy. Surely _he _would be able to see me? After all, to the majority of the people here, he was invisible too.

He didn't hear me. I ran in front of him, but he couldn't see me. He walked straight through me. A hollow, empty feeling washed over me, and I sank to my knees in despair. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was truly alone. Not even the one friend I thought I had could see me. People kept walking through me-Dr Bennett, Christopher, Cassandra from the orphanage. I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to see their faces and recognize them any longer.

And then I was falling once again, and when I stopped falling, I was in a place I knew only too well. It was the cavern from my nightmares.

Nightmares swarmed around me, and the man in the canter of the room turned to face me. Once again, I saw that horrible face, and once again, when he opened his mouth to speak, it was laughter that spewed out. Cold, cruel, mocking laughter.

It echoed around me, bouncing off the wall so that it sounded like thousands of him were laughing at me. I screwed my eyes shut and covered my ears, trying to shut it out, but it did no good. I was terrified and alone, my heart was beating faster than I thought possible, and the man just kept laughing.

And then, once again, I was falling through darkness. But this time, I hit the bottom.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, and I struggled to regain it. I sat up and looked around. All I could see was impenetrable darkness, the very air seemed thick and heavy, and I felt as though the darkness was binding me in place. Soon though, my eyes adjusted, and I began to make out that there were walls all around me, the pit I had fallen into was only a few meters wide. I could also make out another shape, on the ground near me.

My eyes adjusted a little more, and I could see that it was a person. Something seemed wrong though. The body was lifeless-there was no movement, no rising and falling of the chest that would indicate breathing...nothing.

I crawled over to the body. Something about it seemed familiar, but I couldn't place why. I felt for a pulse. There wasn't one.

My eyes adjusted a final time, and I could make out his features. My blood ran cold, and my heart, which moments ago had been hammering faster than I had thought possible, felt as though it stopped entirely. I felt a hollow ache in my chest, and about a thousand emotions washed over me at once, so that I was practically drowning in them.

Grief, sorrow, loss, disbelief, despair...

I _knew_ the boy lying in front of me, dead.

_Jack._

_He _can't_ be...immortals can't die, can they? _He_ can't die...He _can't_ be dead..._

But he was.

"Jack," I whispered, "_no_, please..."

I shut my eyes. Tears were streaming down my face. I couldn't believe it... Only today, he had been so full of life, but now his body lay lifeless at the bottom of a dark pit. Why? _Why_ was he dead? Had it been _my_ fault, could _I_ have prevented this?

I felt myself slipping away; as though I too were dying...It was almost a welcome thought. I would rather die than be trapped down here, forever, with Jack's lifeless body.

Then, the impossible happened. I heard his voice. It was full of fear, although I couldn't understand why. He called out one word only; _"Tara!"_

Once again, I felt myself falling, but this time it felt more like I had tripped over than like I was falling into a deep pit. This time the darkness seemed less oppressive, and this time ice-cold hands caught me. The coldness was comforting.

I heard Jack's panicked voice again, but this time he said more than one word. "She hasn't got a pulse, and she isn't breathing!"

I heard the words, but my brain couldn't comprehend what they meant, aside from one thing-Jack was alive, which meant whatever I had just seen _wasn't real._

I opened my eyes and gasped for breath. I hadn't even realized that my eyes had been closed. I saw in front of my eyes another pair, a pair that was sapphire-blue. I then focused on the face-it was definitely Jack. He looked panicked and scared, then relieved.

"Tara," he breathed, "oh, thank God, you're alive!"

He pulled me into a hug. I suddenly realized that I was shaking, violently. He noticed it too, and he pulled away, giving me a worried look. "Are you alright?"

I tried to say _'I am now,' _ but it turned into a coughing fit. I felt as though I was choking on something, and, sure enough, I was coughing up black sand.

"I'll take that as a no," Jack muttered.

"I'm fine!" I objected, once the coughs had subsided.

"Jack, maybe we should take her downstairs," Jamie suggested. I hadn't even noticed him standing in the doorway until now. He looked extremely worried. "I can check her over, see if she's okay."

Jack turned to me. "Can you stand?"

I nodded, getting shakily to my feet, but almost immediately my legs gave way beneath me. Luckily, Jack caught me.

Once he had helped me down the stairs and onto a chair in the kitchen, Jamie did a few standard checks. He checked my pulse, which apparently was fine, checked my temperature, which was also fine, and a few other things.

Finally, he decided that the reason I was unable to stand without falling over was due to shock. He handed me a cold can of coke from the fridge, telling me that it would help. I popped it open and took a sip. I instantly felt better.

Jack watched as I drank. I tried to figure out what he was thinking, without success. He looked paler than usual, and he was gripping his staff so tightly his knuckles were white.

Jamie turned to address Christopher, who had just finished nibbling on a piece of chocolate. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep okay?" he asked him.

To my surprise, Christopher nodded, yawning. Jamie took him upstairs, and came down a few minutes later.

"I put him in the guest bedroom," he told us. "I'm going to have to do some cleaning in his room before he can sleep in it again."

"Sorry," I said to him. "They were after me. This is all my fault."

Jack looked like he was about to disagree, but Jamie beat him to it. "Actually, I think they came here for Christopher and I. If you think about it, they attacked us first. I don't think they even knew you were here."

Jack frowned. "But if that's true, the question is, why? Why attack you three?"

Jamie thought for a moment, staring downwards. "_'There are other ways to snuff out a light'_," he muttered, and then looked up. "That's it! Whoever's behind this, they're clever. They're picking off the faithful believers, the ones that are unlikely to stop believing, before the Guardians realize what's happening and try to stop them."

"Of course..." Jack whispered in amazement. Then he frowned in concern. "But if that's the case, then you and Christopher are in danger! Please, come with us back to the pole-at least there we can protect you."

Jamie shook his head. "I have patients here who rely on me-I can't leave them."

"But what if the Nightmares attack again?"

"Look, if it's worrying you that much, get North to send us a snow globe. That way, if we are attacked, we can come to the pole that way."

Jack sighed in resignation. "Fine."

There was silence, and then finally, I asked the question that had been bothering me for the past ten minutes or so. "Jack, what did the Nightmare do to me?"

He paused. "That Nightmare was clever. It must have watched us fight and realized that you could beat it easily in a fight, so it used a different approach. I've heard rumors that Nightmares have such a power, but I never really believed them. The things you just saw...they were your worst fears. The Nightmare was trying to, quite literally, scare you to death." He avoided eye contact with me. "It very nearly did. When I reached you, you didn't have a pulse or anything. You weren't even breathing. I thought...I thought..." he trailed off. There was a long pause, in which the words that should have finished the sentence seemed to be echoing through my head. '_I thought you were dead.'_

"Thank you," I told him.

"What for?"

"Saving my life. Again."

"If I'd been more careful, you wouldn't have needed saving."

"What do you mean? Don't blame yourself, you did everything you could-"

I gasped for breath. I felt as though _something_ was inside my lungs, blocking the airways, trying to prevent me from getting the oxygen I needed.

Jack rushed over to me. "Tara, what is it, what's wrong?"

"Can't...can't...breathe." I choked out. Almost as soon as I said it, my airways became unblocked.

Jamie looked concerned. "There must still be Nightmare sand in your lungs."

Jack looked desperate. "Can you get rid of it? I mean, you're a doctor, so..."

Jamie shook his head. "I imagine North or Sandy could though. You two should get back to the North Pole as soon as possible, before this gets any worse."

Jack nodded. "Are you sure you won't come with us?"

Jamie nodded. "We'll be fine."

Jack and I walked out the front door, and we linked arms. Jamie called out to the two of us. "Jack, Tara!" We turned to face him. "Thank you, both of you. If it weren't for you two, Christopher and I wouldn't be alive. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied. Jack merely nodded.

We took off into the sky, and flew in silence for a while. I kept thinking about the visions the Nightmare had shown me. My worst fears.

The first one, the one in the graveyard, was one I hadn't even been aware of, yet now it seemed so obvious. I was afraid that when I died, nobody would notice or care that I was gone. That I would be forgotten.

The second vision and the third vision's meanings were obvious. I was afraid of being completely alone, that people would ignore me, or that to them I wouldn't exist. I was also afraid of the cave from my nightmares, and the man.

The last vision, however, didn't make sense. I had a feeling that the visions went in order of how afraid I was, that this vision was my worst fear. But why was I most afraid that Jack would die? Did the vision really mean that, or did Jack's body represent _all_ the people I cared about?

The question that bothered me most of all, however, was the one that, at least in the case of the final vision, scared me the most. Finally, I asked Jack.

"The visions...that the Nightmare showed me...were they real?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Nightmares can only show you you're fears, they can't show you the past or the present, unless of course part of that IS what you fear, and they _certainly_ can't show you the future."

I sighed in relief. Although he was immortal, therefore he can't die, I couldn't help but worry that the last vision was going to come true. But the visions weren't real. Jack was very much alive, and he wasn't going to die.

* * *

I managed to make it through the flight without much breathing trouble. It was only an hour later when we arrived at the North Pole. Jack, whether purposefully or subconsciously, had flown a lot faster than he had during the other occasions that I had flown with him.

It was as soon as we touched down on the balcony that things started going wrong. Jack opened the doors and walked through. I was about to follow, when I felt the weight in my chest shift, and suddenly my breathing was entirely cut off. I tried to draw breath, but it was like there was a block in my throat. This wasn't like at Jamie's, when I had struggled and had been able to breathe a little, I couldn't breathe _at all_.

Jack hadn't noticed, which wasn't surprising as I was unable to make a sound. I fell to my knees, desperately trying to do the one thing that I couldn't do-breathe. It was as though the Nightmare sand sensed how close I was to getting rid of it, and was determined to stop me.

Jack turned, and when he saw me, the panicked look I had seen in his eyes earlier returned. "Tara!" he cried. He fell to his knees next to me, and put a hand on my shoulder to support me. "Can you breathe at all?" he asked, desperately. I shook my head in reply.

Just then, a yeti entered the room. Jack called out desperately to him, "Phil! Is Sandy here?!"

Phil garbled something incomprehensible, and nodded.

"Go find him, and bring him here, quickly!"

Phil, seeing me, nodded and bounded out the room.

Jack turned back to me. Already, my vision was blurring and growing dark.

"Tara," he said, "look at me."

I did as he asked. In his eyes I saw fear and desperation, but also determination.

"Stay with me, Tara. You're going to be okay, you just have to stay awake, and stay with me. You're going to be fine, Sandy'll be here any minute."

I nodded. I forced my eyes to stay open, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. My vision was now so blurred I could only make out vague shapes, and although I could hear Jack's voice, I could no longer comprehend what he was saying.

A floating, golden shape came into view, and I felt a hand touch my shoulder. The weight on my chest lifted, and I exhaled a cloud of gold. _I could breathe again._

Exhaustion suddenly came over me. I suddenly felt more tired than I had ever felt. My eyelids fluttered closed, and I allowed sleep to take over.

The last thing I remembered was Jack's voice, asking someone, "will she be okay?"

I never heard the reply, but somehow, I knew that I would be.

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**So, there you go. Please review and tell me what you think of the chapter and of the story, and to tell me your theories about what will happen next!**

**Till next time!**


	8. Nocturne's Advice

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG**

**Hi guys.**

**Thank you to the following people for reviewing-**

**_foxchick1:_**** Here you go!**

**_froster:_**** I have to admit, I love reading your really long reviews! Particularly the theories! Well, I won't say if the theory is correct or not (although I get the feeling from the review that you already know), although I must ask, when you say that it is 'bothering' you, do you mean it in a good way or a bad way? Because I'm not entirely sure... Either way, thank you for the review!**

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Chapter Eight-Nocturne's Advice

Jack's POV

Sandy sent Tara to sleep using his dream sand immediately after freeing her lungs of the Nightmare sand. I caught her before she hit the floor.

"Will she be okay?" I asked Sandy.

Sandy nodded in reply. A golden question mark formed above his head.

"What happened?" North translated, not that I needed the translation. He, Tooth and Bunny had arrived not long after Sandy and Phil.

"It's a long story," I told them, "I think I should take Tara to her room first."

They nodded, and watched as I picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to her room. I placed her carefully on the bed. She was sleeping peacefully, and I watched as golden sand images formed above her head. Miniature figures had snowball fights. I recognized Tara as one of the figures, myself as another.

I walked out the room and carefully closed the door. I made my way back to the globe room, where I found the other Guardians.

"So," North said, "What happened?"

Before I could reply, a sleek, black, raven flew in through the door, which I realized I had left open. I couldn't help but think that this was odd, since as far I was aware, ravens weren't native to the arctic. It landed on the floor, then morphed and transformed. Within less than a second, Nocturne was standing before us.

"Nightmares," she said, simply. "Once again, there were traces of a great force of them in Burgess, but they'd all been destroyed."

"I know," I said. "I destroyed them."

"What gives me the feeling that whatever this is, it isn't good," Nocturne muttered. "What happened?"

"Tara and I went to visit Jamie and Christopher," I started, "and after Jamie had put Christopher to bed, we heard strange noises from outside. Jamie went to investigate, but not long after Tara and I heard Christopher scream. We ran up to help him, only to discover that the door was jammed. Tara kicked the door down, and inside the room were lots of Nightmares, all cornering poor Christopher. Tara and I fought them, until they'd all been turned into dreams or destroyed. Tara then realized that something must have happened to Jamie, as he hadn't come running when Christopher had screamed. I looked out the window, and saw that he had also been attacked by Nightmares, but he was losing the fight. I told Tara to close the window after me and then to go downstairs and be ready to open the door for Jamie and I. I jumped out the window and fought the Nightmares. I guess I first realized that something was wrong when it was Christopher who opened the door for us, not Tara. I asked Christopher where she was, and he told me that there had been a Nightmare upstairs, and that Tara had told him she would get rid of it. I ran up the stairs, and when I reached Christopher's bedroom, Tara was there, wrapped tightly in Nightmare sand, with a giant Nightmare standing right in front of her. She looked absolutely terrified, and I realized what it was doing to her."

"_Morte Pavidum_," Nocturne gasped, horrified. "Oh my God, is she okay?"

"Yes," Tooth answered, "but what exactly is _'Morte Pavidum_?"

"It's a power that Nightmares have," Nocturne explained, "they force their victims to live their worst fears, and quite literally scare them to death. You must have heard of it?"

I nodded. "I just haven't heard it by name before. After I realized that, I did the only thing I could. I killed the Nightmare. Tara collapsed, and I caught her. I realized she wasn't breathing, so I checked her pulse. There wasn't one. I thought that I had been too late, that Tara was dead, but then she suddenly woke up and started breathing again. She was shaking and she coughed up some Nightmare sand, although she claimed that she was 'fine'. I took her downstairs and Jamie checked her over. He said that as far he could see, she was fine; she was just in shock, so he gave her a can of coke to drink. Apparently sugar helps with shock. We talked for a while, and then Tara started having trouble breathing. Jamie realized that there must still have been Nightmare sand in her lungs, so I brought her here. She was okay throughout the journey, as far as I was aware, but when we landed her breathing was cut off completely, almost as though the Nightmare sand realized we were about to get rid of it and it didn't want that to happen. I told Phil to get Sandy, Sandy turned the sand into dream sand which then left her body, Sandy put her to sleep and... well, you know the rest."

"Well, it looks like whoever is after her wants her dead _really_ badly," Bunny commented.

I shook my head. "That's something we discussed with Jamie. The Nightmares first went after Jamie and Christopher, not Tara and I. It was like they didn't expect us to be there."

"But why attack Jamie and Christopher?" Tooth asked.

"Think about it," Nocturne sighed. "What have they and Tara got in common?"

"They're all faithful believers, so faithful they'll never stop believing," I answered. "That's the conclusion Jamie came to, anyway."

"It does make sense, "North mused. "Kill the faithful believers while we're unaware that there is a threat, then stop the other children believing...there would be no faithful believers to keep us going if all the others stop, we would fade, and the children would be unprotected."

"It's a clever plan," Bunny commented. "It's a good thing you were there, Jack, otherwise they would have succeeded."

"Yes, but the only problem I can see is that now that they've failed twice, who knows what they might try next?" Nocturne pointed out. "From what Jack just told us, Tara barely got through this ordeal with her life. What might happen next time? I can't imagine anything worse than _Morte Pavidum_, but whatever comes next, I have a bad feeling that it _will_ be worse."

Silence fell. The thought that something worse may be yet to come was disturbing, to say the least. I thought of Tara, sweet, kind Tara, sleeping peacefully in the guest room. After what happened today, I saw her in different ways. I saw her as a fighter, as someone who could take care of herself, but also as fragile, easily broken, like glass. It had never occurred to me, until now, just how easy it was to end a mortal life.

"You know, something doesn't seem to add up," Bunny mused. "Just how, exactly, did the Nightmare sand end up in Tara's lungs anyway?"

Nocturne frowned. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"It's part of the process of _Morte Pavidum_. I'm not entirely sure why, but in order for a Nightmare to administer _Morte Pavidum_, the victim has to be afraid. One of the most effective ways of making a mortal afraid is to cut off their breathing. I think it has something to do with hormones. After the victim has become afraid, the Nightmare shows them visions of their worst fears, visions that seem so real the victim doesn't realize that they are fake. Apart from that, I don't know much, apart from one thing; the last vision is always their worst fear. Not many mortals who reach that stage survive to tell the tale."

"Why not?" Tooth asked.

"Well, by that stage the victim is so scared, and the visions are so realistic, that even when they wake up they are unaware that the visions were fake. The ones that do survive at that stage only survived because something was present that made them realize it was fake."

"Well, it is lucky that Tara didn't reach that stage then," North said.

Sandy frowned and made a heart symbol with a cross through it, and one of those symbols people used to draw to show the wind-a person with puffed out cheeks blowing air-also with a cross through it.

"Her heart wasn't beating, and she wasn't breathing." I translated.

"It seems likely that she reached the final stage," Nocturne stated, "but something told her that what she had seen wasn't real."

I thought back to the moment, when I had thought that she was dead. What had happened?

_When I realized she wasn't breathing, I told Jamie. A moment later, she gasped for breath and… and opened her eyes!_

If her eyes had been closed, then she can't have _seen_ anything, so she must have _heard_ something. But the only thing to hear had been my voice. Had something I had said made her realize the vision wasn't real?

I looked at the others, who were discussing plans for getting rid of the Nightmares, and figuring out who was behind all this. Nocturne was pointing out to the others all the places Nightmares had been sighted on the globe.

"There are fewer lights in the places Nightmares have been seen," Tooth observed, worriedly.

"But not by much," Bunny also observed. "Whoever is behind this clearly still hopes that we won't notice what they're up to."

"Well whoever it is, we, that is Samhain, April, Jack O'Lantern and I, think they're based in Burgess," Nocturne said. "The first few sightings were all close to Burgess, and each time they're sighted they're going further and further afield. It's like they're getting more confident."

A sand image of a man with bulging biceps formed above Sandy's head. None of the others noticed.

"Or they're getting stronger," I translated.

"Or whoever is controlling them is getting stronger." Tooth added nervously.

We all exchanged uneasy looks. This had been going on for too long now, and we were still unaware as to who was behind this. People were getting hurt, children were beginning to stop believing, but there was nothing we could do.

_People were getting hurt._

I felt as though I was suddenly back in Jamie's house, seeing Tara in the clutches of the Nightmare. I felt the fear, my fear for Tara's life. The anger at the Nightmare, for hurting her, at the one who ordered it to kill her. I remembered calling her name, the emotions evident in my voice. I remembered the blast of icy energy that seemed to have been powered by pure, blind, rage.

I then remembered the panic. _She wasn't breathing. She had no pulse._ She couldn't be _dead_, could she? But, of course, I knew-she could be, mortals can be killed easily. I remembered the _pain_ the _grief_, the _loss_, and other emotions I couldn't understand. But then, against the odds, she breathed again, and opened her eyes. I remembered the relief.

I remembered the panic I had felt when I realized that she couldn't breathe, that she was _dying_. Panic, that I saw reflected in her eyes. I remembered trying to be strong, for her sake, trying to help her keep going long enough for Sandy to arrive, to help her, to _save_ her. But then her eyes began closing, and I realized she was slipping into unconsciousness, slipping away from me. I begged her desperately to stay awake, to stay with me, but she could no longer understand. Then Sandy came, and she was saved. Once again, I felt relief.

_Fear. Anger. Rage. Panic. Pain. Grief. Loss. Desperation._ All emotions I didn't want to feel so intensely ever again.

If Tara were to be in danger again, would I be able to save her? What if, for some reason, no one was there to protect her? There would be times when she would be alone...what then?

"North," I started, "I'm aware of the fact that Tara could be put in danger, and that we may not be able to help her. Would you be able to work some kind of magic on...I don't know...a necklace, say, that would act as protection, should something like what happened earlier happen again?"

He nodded. "I'm not sure how well it would work, but I could."

I thought of the ice sculptures that he would make in his spare time. They never seemed to melt. _What if..._

I held out my hand and concentrated hard. I felt ice form in my hand. I opened my eyes and examined my handiwork. A tiny, delicate chain made of ice lay in my palm, and attached to it was a pendant in the shape of a many-pointed star, also made of ice.

"Could you do it to this?" I asked, and then added, "and make sure that it can't melt, or shatter if you drop it?"

Again North nodded. He took it from me and retreated into his office.

Nocturne looked at me in concern. "Jack...do you...you know..._like_ Tara?"

_You _like_ her, don't you._ That's what Jamie had said. Now Nocturne was asking the same question, and I still had no idea what it meant.

"How do you mean?" I asked her. "Jamie asked me the same question earlier, but he wouldn't explain what he had meant."

"You mean, you don't know?"

"I _was_ born over three-hundred years ago. According to Jamie it's a reasonably recent analogy."

"Jack, _I'm_ several _thousand_ years old, and _I_ know what it means."

"You're _how_ old?"

"I'll pretend you didn't say that. Besides, that doesn't matter." She paused, considering what to say. "What people mean when they ask if you _like_ someone, is do you..._love_ them, basically."

"Wait, _what?!_'

There was an awkward silence, in which Sandy, Nocturne, Tooth and Bunny exchanged worried looks.

Finally, Tooth said, "well, do you?"

"Do I what?" I asked, confused.

Bunny rolled his eyes, although his worried expression remained. "Do you _like_ Tara?"

"What? No! I mean, I like her as a _friend_, but not in _that_ way."

The others looked relieved. "Good," Bunny sighed.

I frowned. "What's so _'good'_ about it?"

"Jack," Tooth started, softly. "Falling in love with a mortal is a very bad thing-it only ever ends in pain and heartbreak."

"Why?" I asked still confused.

"Jack, think about it," Nocturne said. I noticed her voice waver slightly. "When Tara dies, which she will do eventually as all mortals do, you will mourn her death and feel sorrow and grief. Think how much worse it would be if you _loved_ her-the pain would be unbearable."

She was right. The cold, harsh reality of mortality, or rather _immortality_, set in. We may have saved Tara today, but sooner or later, she _would_ die. But we would never age; we would just keep on living for all eternity. All we could do was hope that it was later, rather than sooner.

At that moment, North walked in, beaming, unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. "Is done!" he boomed, handing me the necklace. "The magic isn't very strong, but should be strong enough to hold off attackers long enough for someone to come to her aid."

I took it gratefully and slipped it into my pocket.

North turned to Nocturne. "Your flight here must have been exhausting. Would you like any refreshments? Somewhere to rest?"

Nocturne turned to look at him, and as the light illuminated her face, I noticed that her eyes were glistening. "Thank you," she said, her voice strangely steady, as though she was forcing it to stay that way, "but I'm afraid I... I have to go."

She turned and transformed into a raven and flew out the window. We watched her leave, and I thought of the sadness in her eyes, and the way they had glistened as they caught the light. Had there been tears in her eyes? Why?

"I think we should all get some rest," Tooth stated. The others nodded in agreement and left the room. Clearly none of them had noticed.

I turned and followed in their footsteps, walking to the guest rooms. I paused outside Tara's door. I was half tempted to knock, but I knew she'd still be asleep. Instead, I entered my own room, collapsed onto the bed and let myself drift off to sleep.

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**Just so you guys know, ****_Morte Pavidum_**** means ****_'fearful death'_****.**

**So, please review, tell me what you think, tell me your theories, and just...review! Please?! (Puppy dog eyes)**


	9. Recovery

**Hey.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. I think I may have forgotten the disclaimer in the last few chapters, so please forgive me for that. I only own the plot and the characters ****_I_**** created.**

**So here it is-chapter nine. Not much happens in this chapter I'm afraid, but I promise something exciting will happen in the next chapter. I just had to come up with something to fill in the day, since my plans for the story run on a pretty tight schedule for a while from now on, which requires the events of chapter ten to happen at night.**

**Thank you to ****_Froster_****, who reviewed! Thank you for the advice, the ideas, and the encouragement!**

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Chapter Nine-Recovery

Tara's POV

I opened my eyes. I was back in the bed in the guest room in North's workshop. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was being on the balcony and not being able to breathe. I struggled to remember what happened afterwards, but nothing came to me.

Well, lying here doing nothing wasn't going to help. I sat up and went to push away the covers, only to discover that I had gone to sleep _on top_ of them. Why had I done that?

I had a quick shower, got dressed, and then sat back down on the bed. I checked the time on my phone. Seven AM. Not too early to have breakfast, then.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened, and Jack entered, closing the door behind him. "How do you feel?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Better," I replied. "What happened after we landed? My mind's gone blank."

"Do you remember not being able to breathe?" he asked, looking concerned.

I nodded. "I remember that. The last thing I remember is feeling a hand on my shoulder."

"That was Sandy. He saved you, and sent you to sleep."

"How did I get here? As in, this room."

"I...kinda carried you here."

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Um...thanks." I gave a small nervous laugh. "Oh God, I bet I was _really_ heavy..."

Jack laughed. "Actually, you're really light."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

There was a pause. Finally, Jack spoke. "Listen...about what happened yesterday. What you saw-the visions. I know you probably _don't_ want to tell anyone about them, but if you _do_ need someone to talk to...I just want you to know, I'm here for you." he paused, and then reached into his pocket. "There's something else too." He pulled something out of his pocket, opened his hand and held out the item to me. It was a beautiful necklace, made of ice. "This should protect you should something like what happened yesterday happen again. North worked some kind of magic on it-it'll protect you."

I felt myself going a slight shade of pink, which was stupid since it didn't _mean_ anything - unless you count the fact that the Guardians wanted me to be safe. "Thank you," I said, smiling. I took it, undid the catch and fastened it round my neck.

I thought about what he said. About if there was anything I needed to talk about, he was there. The one thing that had been worrying me since the visions I had yesterday. Should I ask him? If I did, would I have to tell him about the vision? What would he think?

"Jack," I started, before I could change my mind, "can immortals, um... can they die?"

Jack looked surprised at the question. "Why... Why do you want to know?"

I bit my lip. This was what I had been afraid of. "One of my visions..." I started, thinking how to answer. "I saw... I saw the Guardians... my friends... I saw you dead."

I felt terrible, lying to Jack like this, but how could I tell him the truth? What if he got the wrong idea? What would he think of me?

Jack seemed to understand. He sat down on the bed beside me, took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Truthfully? Yes we can die. But only if a particular type of weapon fatally wounds us, or if we consume a particular type of poison, both of which are extremely rare. The chances of it are extremely small."

What he had told me made me feel a bit better. Or at least, it lessened the worry of the vision coming true. But now I was faced with a question I didn't want to answer-should I have lied? Should I have told him that the vision hadn't shown the Guardians, but specifically _him_?

Before either of us could say anything else, Tooth stuck her head round the door. "North says breakfast is ready, if you're interested," she informed us.

"Thank you," we replied.

I stood and turned to Jack. "Are you having breakfast?" I asked.

He nodded, also standing. We followed Tooth out the door and down the corridor.

When we reached the room, we found North, Bunny and Sandy already sat at the table. They looked up as we walked in.

"Tara!" North exclaimed. "How do you feel?"

"Much better," I informed them. "Thank you."

We sat down and helped ourselves to toast, butter and jam.

North turned to Jack. "Jack, have you brought snow to anywhere within the past few days?"

Jack looked slightly sheepish. "No," he answered. "Well, unless Burgess counts."

"You probably ought to go out today then," North said concerned. "We need to give the children a reason to believe, after all."

Jack nodded. He turned to me. "Do you want to come?"

Bunny cut in before I could reply. "Bad idea mate," he said, "we don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday."

Jack suddenly looked guilty. "Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"Is alright," North said. "No harm done." I wondered briefly if he was referring to Jack's suggestion, or to what happened yesterday.

We ate the rest of our breakfast in silence. Once he had finished, Jack stood up.

"I'd best be off then," he said, walking out the room.

Tooth, Bunny and Sandy also stood.

"I ought to go check on the fairies." Tooth looked slightly worried. "Just to make sure everything's running smoothly."

"And I need to make sure all the early preparations for Easter are going according to plan," Bunny added.

"You prepare for Easter several months in advance? Surely the eggs would go off by the time Easter came?" I was genuinely curious.

"Not the eggs. Just making sure there's enough paint, that kind of thing."

"Ah."

A few sand images appeared above Sandy's head. A child sleeping, a few '_Z_'s and a smiley face. Clearly, duty was also calling to Sandy.

The three of them left the room to travel to their respective destinations in their various ways, leaving North and I alone in the room.

"Tara," he started, "I need to oversee the preparations for Christmas. Will you be all right to find something to do?"

I nodded. "I'll keep out of your way, don't worry."

"Thank you." He walked to the door, and then paused. "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

"If I had persuaded you and Jack not to go..."

"Then Jamie and Christopher would both be dead," I pointed out. I'd much rather the Nightmare did the, uh, scare-me-to-death thing to me than it did it to them."

"It's called _'Morte Pavidum'_," North informed me. "What the Nightmare did to you, I mean."

"_Fearful death_," I translated. North looked surprised that I had been able to do so. "We're taught Latin at the orphanage," I explained. "The guy who runs the orphanage believes that we should have a wide range of opportunities for the future, therefore they teach us all the subjects they can."

North nodded. "_'Fearful death'_," he mused, "it seems appropriate."

He left the room, leaving me to my own thoughts.

* * *

_I'm not sure how to begin. Three nights ago, I went onto the rooftop, as usual, to find a strange man there. He wanted me to go with him, and when I refused, he warned me that my fears would come for me._

_That night, my nightmare got worse. After years of just standing there with his back to me, he finally turned to face me. His face... I don't know how to describe it. He had grey skin, amber, cat-like eyes, and his _smile_... I had no idea a smile could look so _cruel_, so _mocking_, so... _wicked_. But that wasn't the worst of it-he laughed. I swear that laugh is the single-most terrifying thing I have experienced. Well... not quite..._

_I woke up, nearly screaming. I haven't been so close to screaming as a result of the nightmare in years. I knew I would never get back to sleep, so I went onto the roof. That was when I saw them. The shadow-horses from my dream, which I know now are called Nightmares, were surrounding the orphanage. They were there for _me_._

_I slid down the drainpipe and ran into the woods, but they followed me. Soon they had me surrounded. I called for help, though expecting none. But then he came. Jack Frost._

_He saved me. He told me what they were, and offered to take me to a place where I'd be safe from them. I accepted._

_We flew to the North Pole. I'm not sure what was more amazing, the sensation of flying, or the sight of North's workshop._

_After we arrived, the other Guardians were called-Tooth, Sandy and Bunny. They discussed why the Nightmares would attack me, but came up with no answers, even when four other immortals turned up-Samhain, Jack O'Lantern, April Fool and Nocturne-who are experts in the typical behavior of Nightmares._

_Well, we did work out one thing. Someone sent them. I'm not sure if I want to know whom, or not. After all, this person wants me dead._

_The next day, Jack and I visited a couple of his friends-the first person to believe in Jack, and his son. As it turns out _Dr Bennett_ was the first person to believe in Jack. Things are starting to make sense now-I know why he believes, and I know why he could also see the Guardians in the photograph._

_Later, at night, the house was attacked by Nightmares. Jack and I fought them off, but while he was busy saving Jamie (Dr Bennett), one of them tried to kill me using a power that North called _'Morte Pavidum'_. The Nightmare makes the victim live their worst fears, to quite literally scare them to death._

_I had four visions. I understand the meaning of the first three, but the fourth still puzzles me._

_In the fourth and final vision, I was at the bottom of a dark pit. Lying beside me was the body of someone who I couldn't recognize in such poor light. I discovered that they were most certainly dead, and when my eyes adjusted, I realized that it was Jack._

_In that moment, I felt more scared than I had ever felt. I was so afraid, I almost died of fear. I would have done, if it weren't for Jack, who, once again, saved me._

_This morning, I asked Jack if immortals could die. He told me they could, but only if they were wounded by a rare kind of weapon. When he asked me why I wanted to know, I told him that my vision had shown _all_ the Guardians dead._

_Should I have lied to him? Should I have told him the truth? That my worst fear-since I am almost completely certain it _is_ my worst fear-is seeing him dead?_

Why_ did I lie? Was it because I was afraid that he would get the wrong idea? Or because I was afraid that it might come true? Or was it because I myself didn't understand it's meaning?_

I lay the pen down on the table. I then turned back the pages of the diary to look at the drawings that had made their way onto the paper not long before. First was a drawing of the Nightmares around the orphanage, and then of them surrounding me. Then there was a picture of the Nightmare, right before it administered _Morte Pavidum_, and then a drawing of each of the visions.

Then there were drawings of the Guardians-Jack fighting off the Nightmares in the forest, North activating the Northern Lights, all five of them at the meeting, individual drawings of each of them, Nocturne, Samhain, April Fool and Jack O'Lantern standing in the doorway, and finally, several drawings of Jack.

One of my teachers once told me that drawing and writing in a diary helped arrange her thoughts and make sense of them. Her words were what gave me the idea to start writing a diary. Today, however, I'm not sure that it really helped.

I closed the diary and put it back in my bag. I then took out my piano music book. If writing and drawing didn't work, then maybe music would.

I left the room and entered the piano room. It was as I had left it when I last came in here-the piano stool pushed neatly under it, the cover extended over the keys, the lid down.

I placed my piano book on the music stand then lifted the lid of the piano and propped it up. I then pulled out the stool, sat on it, and lifted the cover off the keys.

I flicked through the pages of the book and stopped at a random page. _'Walking in the Air'_, from _'The Snowman'_.

Ignoring the vocal line, I began to play the steady rhythm of arpeggios up and down the keys. Soon, I was lost in the music, knowing only the constant patterns of the notes and the chords.

_D, C, G, B flat, D..._

When I finally finished the piece, I felt a lot calmer than I had all day. I sat there for a moment, immersed in the dying sounds of the final chord which continued to be heard, thanks to the sustain pedal. I then released the pedal, and the sound ceased.

"I've said it once, and I'll say it again; I had no idea a piano could sound so beautiful."

I turned to see that, once again, Jack was standing in the doorway, wearing a warm smile.

"Really?" I asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Would I lie to you?" He walked over and looked at the music. "Although, it did feel like something was missing," he mused, before hastily adding, "I mean in the piece. It had nothing to do with your playing."

"That's because there wasn't a tune." I pointed out the vocal part. "The tune is in the vocal part, but I don't sing."

"Why not?" Jack asked. "I think you'd sound lovely."

I turned away, to cover up my blush, and pretended to flick through the pages of my music book, searching for a new piece. "I doubt it. Besides, I don't think the others at the orphanage would appreciate it. Playing the piano at six o'clock in the evening is one thing, but singing..." I trailed off, without a reason to back up the lie. The truth was, I had always wanted to sing along, but was too scared that it wouldn't sound good.

Luckily, Jack didn't notice. Instead, he said, "Personally, I wouldn't mind listening to you play at _any_ time of day." He looked at the music book, the pages of which I was still flicking through. "What are you going to play next?" he asked.

I stopped flicking and opened the book at the chosen page. "This, apparently."

I looked at the title to find out what _'this'_ was. _'A River Flows in You'_, by _'Yiruma'_. _Yiruma_ was one of my all-time favorite pianists to listen to, not to mention play, and _'River Flows in You' _was one of my favorites of his pieces.

I placed my fingers on the keys and began to play. At first, I was almost uncomfortably aware of Jack's presence, hovering over my shoulder and watching me, but within a few bars, I was once again immersed in the music.

After I finished, I turned round to see that Jack was still standing behind me, his expression showing what could only be described as a feeling of content. He looked as though he was about to say something, but before he could, North stuck his head round the door.

"Dinner's ready," he told us. "Also, the others are back."

We nodded. I closed the music book, closed the lid of the keys and of the piano, pushed the stool of the piano under the piano, and left the book in my room. The two of us then walked to dinner, together.

* * *

_The shadows in the cavern swirled, taking the shape of horses with glowing, golden eyes. The man in the centre looked more powerful than ever. A smirk played across his lips as he stroked one of the Nightmares, lovingly._

_"Most interesting," he purred, "her fears are _most_ interesting. And so... delicious. The fear, dread, grief, and the _intensity_ of it all... It's a _goldmine_ of power..." He turned to me. "Well hello there. I would say that I wasn't expecting a visit, but that would be a lie. I look forward to meeting you in person, Tara Lumen."_

_"Who are you?" I demanded. The outburst surprised me-I had never known that I could speak while inside my nightmares._

_"You'll find out soon enough," he sent the Nightmare away with a casual flick of his hand. He then approached me. I wanted to back away, but I was unable to move. Within a moment, he was so close our faces were only inches apart, so that I was forced to gaze into his amber eyes in terror. Then he spoke._

"You are mine."

* * *

**So, the next chapter should hopefully be updated next Monday (In my time zone).**

**There is a reason for choosing those two pieces for Tara to play, aside from the fact that they are beautiful. I chose ****_Walking in the Air_****, because I kind of thought that Tara probably had similar feelings when she was flying with Jack as the boy did when he was flying with the snowman-not to mention the Snowman was one of my favorite stories when I was little (despite the depressing ending). I chose ****_A River Flows in You_**** because the first time I ever heard this beautiful piece was when I was sitting in the cinema with my friends,**** waiting for the film, ****_'Rise of the Guardians'_**** to start. Ever since then, when I thinking about writing this story, I just knew that it had to be included in some way. I have put links to videos with these pieces on YouTube below, in case you haven't heard them and want to. All you have to do is type the YouTube address into the address bar ( w w w . . c o m (minus the gaps)) and copy and paste the following endings after it.**

**Walking in the air:  
/watch?v=SuzLlOSJTKg**

**River Flows in You:  
/watch?v=F-4wUfZD6oc**

**I do not own either piece, or either video.**

**Please review, and see you next time!**


	10. The Truth

**Disclaimer- I do not own Rise of the Guardians, it rightfully belongs to Dreamworks. I only own the plot Tara Lumen, and all the other characters ****_I_**** have created.**

**Hi guys...**

**I'm sorry it's a week late, but it wasn't entirely my fault. Our broadband broke a few days before this was ****_meant_**** to be posted, and although he bought a new one straight away, my dad wouldn't let me have the codes to access the Wi-Fi until late last week, meaning there wasn't really any point in posting it then. So I waited until today.**

**I also apologize for the fact that, in comparison to the other chapters, this chapter is extremely short. I think it might be because I planned out everything that was going to be said in advance, as it is important that some things are said, and that some things were mentioned ect, ect, but the problem with that was I didn't pay as much attention to detail ect. I think. I hope this is okay though.**

**However, I do not apologize for the cliffhanger. Partly because I love writing cliffhangers, and partly because I think this was necessary. Lets just say more than one POV is needed on this subject...**

**Anyway...**

**Thank you to****_ CreativeSpirit28 _****for following and favouriting my story, and thank you to ****_merida of the middle earth_**** for following it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Ten-The Truth

Tara's POV

I sat up, bolt upright, struggling against the bed covers. Once again, I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to stop the scream in my throat from escaping my lips. My heart was pounding faster than the hoof beats of a racehorse, and each breath came as a ragged gasp.

_'Calm down,'_ I told myself. _'It was just a nightmare.'_ The problem was, I wasn't so sure anymore. The nightmare man had _spoken_ to me, which had never happened before. He had told me he looked forward to meeting me in person. Even the _thought_ of meeting him in reality made me tremble in fear. But was the nightmare real? _Could_ it be real? I decided I would ask Jack about it in the morning.

I carefully untangled myself from the covers and checked the time. Three AM. I debated the likelihood of being able to get to sleep again after the nightmare. Pretty much zero chance.

I showered, got dressed and sat on the bed, staring into space. I had a few hours to kill before breakfast. I decided to try to distract myself from the haunting images of the man, the cavern in which he resided, and other things that frightened me even more-the memories of _Morte Pavidum._

I got out my diary and stared blankly at the paper, pen poised above it, ready to write. No words came. I had written the events of the last few days yesterday, what could else I write, apart from _'Hi me, I had another nightmare last night.'_

I tried drawing instead, but whatever I tried to draw, it turned into something related to the nightmare. I sighed in exasperation. I wanted to try and push it out of my mind, not _remind myself_ of it!

I didn't feel like drawing or writing in my diary. What else could I do? If I was perfectly honest, I knew exactly what I _wanted_ to do. I was itching to play the piano. But if I played it this early in the morning, I would disturb Jack. After all, his room was only two doors away from the piano room.

Then again... as long as I didn't play anything that was too loud... and he _had_ said that he wouldn't mind listening to me play at any time of day, so...

Mind made up, I picked up the piano book and went to the piano. I left the lid of the piano down and placed my foot on the left pedal for good measure. Hopefully the softening effect of the pedal would make the piano quieter as well.

I turned to a piece by _Yiruma_. It was called _'Time Forgets'_. I placed my fingers on the keys and let the music carry me away.

Halfway through the piece, something brought me back to reality. I felt uneasy all of a sudden, and I had the cold, distinct feeling that I was being _watched_. This wasn't like before, when Jack had been watching me play, this new presence felt... different. Perhaps even unfriendly. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something _move_.

I stopped playing and turned to see what it was, but there was nothing. _It must have been my imagination._

But then, I saw it again. I couldn't make out what IT was, but I _definitely _saw movement. I turned, but once again, there was nothing there. But there WAS something different, something out of place. I could sense it, I _knew_ something was wrong, but I couldn't quite place what. Then I realized. _The door was open._

I _distinctly_ remembered closing it to avoid noise drifting through and disturbing Jack. Which meant someone or something had opened it.

I left the piano, walked to the doorway, and looked out into the corridor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something disappear down it. I considered waking Jack, but decided against it. It probably wasn't a problem-it was probably an elf or something.

I followed down the corridor. I kept seeing movement, always put of the corner of my eye, always disappearing round a corner or something similar. Eventually, I ended up at a door I recognized. The door to the Globe Room. The door was slightly ajar, meaning whatever I was following had gone that way.

I entered the Globe Room, closed the door behind me, and looked around. For a moment, I couldn't see anything different about the room. But then I saw _him_. The man from the rooftop.

He looked cleaner than when I had first met him. His hair and clothes were no longer ragged, and although I had only ever met him once, I got the feeling that, somehow, I _knew_ this man.

"Hello, Tara Lumen." His voice echoed through my head. Had he spoken to me telepathically? "That's right," the voice continued, "it's a very clever trick, if I must say so myself. I can hear what you're thinking, and I can project my words into your head."

"Who are you?" I asked, mentally.

"I am Pitch Black," he replied.

_Pitch Black._ The enemy of the Guardians, the one they had thought couldn't be behind the events of the last few days... But why hadn't they recognized him from my description when I had told them about meeting him on the rooftop?

"Ah, _that_..." he spoke again. I was no longer aware of what was in my head and what was being spoken aloud. "Another trick I developed. I can change my form. Do you want to see who I _really_ am?"

He didn't wait for me to answer. The room grew dark, his form twisted and turned into a swirling mass of shadow, which then gradually stilled and solidified to form a man with grey skin, amber eyes, black robes...

I backed away, trembling. _"No... It can't be..."_

The man from my nightmares grinned. "Hello, _my daughter_."

Suddenly, everything made sense. If what he had said was true, then, according to the direct bloodline rule, he could draw power from me. That's why he gave me the nightmares-it was so he could do so. That was why every time I saw him, he seemed stronger-it was because he _was_ stronger-I was making him stronger. In my nightmares, I had always _felt_ as though I was losing power and energy, I just never realized that it was _actually_ happening. It also explained why I always woke up more tired than before I went to sleep-it was because I was losing energy to Pitch, rather than gaining it.

_Why didn't I tell the Guardians about my nightmares when I first came here? How could I have been so stupid? Pitch has been drawing power from me all along!_

"Yes," Pitch mused, "the power you have given me is quite useful. I am in your debt."

"In my debt?" The idea was almost amusing. "Ha ha, very funny." I replied, sarcastically, before turning serious again. "You have ten seconds to leave before I call the Guardians..."

"But what would they say, when they realize that you are my daughter?" Pitch asked, and, whether I liked it or not, he had a point.

I pushed that worry from my mind. That didn't matter- what mattered was that the man who was responsible for the attacks, for the behaviour of the Nightmares and for kids stopping believing was _here_. If I called the Guardians now, they could stop him before anything else happened.

But before I could do anything of the sort, Pitch spoke again. "I must say, this is a great disguise-the kind, innocent girl who's in danger. The _damsel in distress._ Quite clever, really."

My first reaction was indignation. "I am _not_ a damsel in distress! I _can _take care of myself!" Then I took in the rest of his statement, and looked at him in confusion. "Hang on,_ disguise?_ What are you talking about?"

"Oh, and the information you've given me will be most useful," he continued, ignoring me.

My blood ran cold. "What information?"

Pitch smiled, almost smugly. "It's all in your head, Tara."

_In my head._ Pitch had used the telepathic link to see my memories and thoughts. He had used them to get information on the Guardians. What had he found out? I thought of the times when I'd asked the Guardians about themselves. Would he have seen all of that? And what about the things Jack told me about himself, about his sister, and about how he died?

Pitch smiled again, and this time I was surprised to see that it was almost pleasant. "Well, my daughter, I must leave now. Keep up the good work."

"You..." I struggled to think of a strong enough insult. "You scumbag!" I mentally face-palmed. That was the least insulting thing a person could come up with! "You... son of a-" I started to say, but he disappeared into a swirl of shadow.

I stared at the spot where he had been. He had gone. On the downside, that meant the Guardians would have to try and find him before they could send him back to whatever pit he'd crawled out of. On the bright side, at least I could tell the Guardians who was responsible for the events of the past few days.

"Is it true?" North's voice said in disbelief, interrupting my thoughts. "You've been working for Pitch all along?"

I turned to see all five of the Guardians had entered the room.

"No! I..." I was about to explain everything, but then I saw their faces. Bunny's face showed betrayal, North's and Sandy's disbelief, Tooth's shock, and Jack just looked... confused.

_But why?_ All the things Pitch had said...I'd denied them. Then I realized. _The telepathic link._ I had no idea what had been said aloud, and what had been said telepathically. For all I knew, they might not have heard the parts of the conversation in which I denied Pitch's statements. I realized that was what Pitch had wanted-to trick me into making it look like I was working with him.

"What did you hear?" I whispered. Even as I said the words, I knew that the answer to that question wasn't the answer I wanted. What I _really_ wanted to know was the complete opposite.

_What_ didn't _they hear?_

* * *

**So, like I said, cliffhanger! Please review and say what you think (I get worried when I don't get any, since I worry that you guys don't like what I'm writing! (Yes, I know, insecure much!)) So please review!**

**By the way, here's the address for ****_'Time Forgets'_****. Just type in the web address for YouTube, and paste this bit in! **

**/watch?v=anicaKGED00**

**See you next time!**


	11. Betrayal

**Disclaimer-I do not own ROTG-it belongs to Dreamworks. I only own the plot and the OCs.**

**So, hi there!**

**So, thank you to the following people who reviewed:**

**_rachealninja10:_**** I know he isn't ****_too_**** evil in the movie, since it's aimed at young children, so he can't be too scary, but I can't help but think how much ****_more_**** evil and creepy he could be. Plus I like to write a bad guy that's really twisted and evil. So that's why I've decided to make him really evil (it doesn't show too much right now, but later on... ****_mwa ha ha!_**** (that was me, not Pitch. Sadly, his evil laughs sound more evil than mine.)). About the telepathy thing, I got the idea that Pitch must be able to read people's mind in some way from the movie, because of something he says when Jack's in his lair: Pitch-"...you are afraid of something." Jack-"You think so, huh?" Pitch-"I ****_know _****so. It's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears." -From there, I thought, ****_'well, if he knows everyone's greatest fears, he must have _****some****_ kind of telepathic power, right?'_****, and then, when I thought up the direct bloodline rule, I thought ****_'what if the telepathic link is a part of that?'_**** Well, that was my logic behind the link anyway. I'm not sure if it makes sense, but I've explained it the best I can.**

**_Froster:_**** Love the victory dance! Yes, you were right- and you picked up on the clues pointing to it as well! Also, I think part of your review was cut off...**

* * *

Chapter Eleven-Betrayal

Jack's POV

I lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't sleep. I had a bad feeling that _something_ was about to happen, something terrible, and it was keeping me awake, despite the fact that I was at the North Pole, one of the safest places in the world. Nothing bad could happen here, could it?

I heard movement next door. Tara was awake. I looked at the time and frowned. _Three AM?_ Why was Tara awake at this time of the morning?

A few minutes later, I heard the shower start. Clearly, Tara was getting up. Maybe she too had been unable to sleep.

Not long after, Tara left her bedroom, and a few moments later, I heard the piano start to play, very quietly. The tune was simple and pretty, with a repetitive accompaniment.

I closed my eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. Slowly, I became less aware of what was around me and more aware of other things, like how comfortable the bed was and how tired I was.

Memories from the past few days flitted about and played through my mind. None of it made sense. I wanted so badly to find who was responsible, and to make them pay. Three of the people I cared about had almost died because of them, and it was only due to dumb luck and coincidence that I had been able to save them. But I had no idea why this was happening, let alone who caused it. And that scared me. Not knowing how to protect those I loved, or who to protect them from, not knowing _why_.

Abruptly, the music stopped, and I was plunged back into reality. I frowned. Tara hadn't finished the piece, so why had she stopped playing?

When she didn't start playing again after a few minutes, I grew worried. What if something was wrong? What if something had happened? Was she allright?

I got out of bed and opened the door. Tara was there, in the corridor, but she had her back to me. I almost called out to her, but then I noticed that she was creeping swiftly, but stealthily and silently, down the corridor. Why didn't she want to be heard?

I followed her, breathing softly and treading carefully. Where was she going? She quickened her pace, as though she was following something, but was losing them. I daren't go any faster though. I didn't know why, but I didn't want her to know I was there.

I rounded the next corner. Tara wasn't there. I looked around to see where she could have gone. There were several doors on this stretch of the corridor; she could have gone through any of them. I checked each one, but found only sleeping elves, sleeping yetis, or presents. She must have continued down the corridor.

I did the same. Dead end. Except... the side door to the Globe Room. I crept towards it, and was about to open it, when I heard a voice from within the room.

"Hello, _my daughter_."

I froze. I _knew_ that voice... It belonged to Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, the embodiment of fear... and the enemy of the Guardians. What was worse was that Tara was in there _with him_. Which meant she was in danger!

I was about to fling open the door and send all the power I had at Pitch when his words finally sank in. He had called Tara his _daughter_. But that couldn't be true, could it? But then again...

If she were his daughter, it would explain his return. The direct bloodline rule meant that he was able to draw power from her, and he'd had eighteen years to do so. It was nearly nineteen years since we last defeated Pitch... He could have had a relationship with a mortal woman back then, when he had a form, add nine months, then add eighteen years...the child would be eighteen this year. Pitch's defeat would explain why her father wasn't there to claim her as a baby.

As much as I didn't want to believe it, the facts added up. It was the only solution to the great puzzle of the past few days that made sense. Tara was the daughter of Pitch Black.

"The power you have given me is quite useful. I am in your debt."

I heard the words but didn't really process them. I felt numb, hollow and a little sick. Tara had been on Pitch's side all along? It didn't seem possible. She had been so kind, so genuine... She'd been my friend. I couldn't believe that it had all been fake, a lie. She'd been spying on us. She'd used us.

_No! Stop that Jack Frost!_ Tara would never betray us. _Pitch must know I'm here,_ I thought. He was trying to trick me into believing Tara was our enemy. After all, Tara had almost died several times due to his Nightmares. Even if she _was_ Pitch's daughter, it didn't mean she was evil. She may not have known, or if she did, she may hate him, for all I knew.

"I must say, this is a great disguise-the kind, innocent girl who's in danger. The _damsel in distress_. Quite clever, really," Pitch said, but I no longer believed his words.

"I am _not_ a damsel in distress! I _can_ take care of myself!" Tara replied indignantly. Part of me wondered why she didn't deny his other statements, but another, more dominant part of me worried for her safety-the fact she had spoken meant she was definitely in there... with our sworn enemy. A man who had already tried to kill her several times.

"Oh, and the information you've given me will be most useful," Pitch continued, ignoring Tara.

_Information?_ Another trick? Or had Tara given him information about the Guardians? Why _would_ she do that? A tiny part of me that believed Pitch told me that it was because she had been using us, that the Tara I knew hadn't been real, but I refused to let that part take over. The Tara I knew _was_ genuine. Yet...

Why was this conversation so one-sided? Why wasn't Tara saying anything? Why didn't she deny everything... None of it was true-was it?

Pitch spoke again. "Well, my daughter, I must leave now. Keep up the good work."

_Silence_. His words kept swimming round in my head in a confused muddle. _Daughter. Information. Disguise._ Before I realized what I was doing, my hand was reaching out for the door handle. _I have to know,_ I thought, _I have to know the truth._

I quietly entered the room, closing the door behind me. Tara stood with her back to me, with her fists clenched, but her shoulders slumped in defeat. She was trembling slightly, which made me want to wrap her in my arms and comfort her.

I opened my mouth to say her name, but another voice beat me to it.

"Is it true? You've been working for Pitch all along?"

I turned towards the voice. _North_. He, Tooth, Sandy and Bunny were standing in the main doorway of the room. Their faces all showed varying degrees of betrayal, shock and disbelief. That confused me. _Why?_ Surely they didn't believe what Pitch had said?

Tara, who had turned at the sound of North's voice, looked confused. "No! I..." She trailed off, realization dawning on her. Now she looked worried, nervous, and slightly scared. "What did you hear?" she whispered, so quietly it was almost inaudible.

"Enough," Bunny replied. "You've been giving Pitch information to help him defeat us. You've been _spying_ on us."

"No!" I objected. "That isn't true! How can you think that? Tara would _never_-"

"You heard what Pitch said, didn't you?" Bunny interrupted.

"Yes, but it was a trick-it must've been. Pitch is setting her up!"

I couldn't believe it. The others thought that what Pitch had said was true! But it wasn't- was it?

"Jack," North said in a reasonable, almost sympathetic, tone. "Did you hear Tara deny any of what Pitch was saying?"

Tara bit her lip. "About that... Pitch can speak to me telepathically, and he can read my thoughts. I denied everything he said-I just don't know what parts of the conversation were said aloud, and which parts were said telepathically."

Bunny frowned. "You have a telepathic link with _Pitch_? This ain't lookin' good on the _'Tara's innocent'_ argument, mate."

"Bunny, _all_ immortals have telepathic links with their children," Tooth pointed out. "And if what he said was true, then Tara is, well... Pitch's daughter." The last words were spoken tentatively, as though she couldn't quite believe them.

"Even so, it's awfully convenient, isn't it? Half the conversation was had telepathically, so we only have Tara's word to tell us what was said."

"Bunny's right," North said, "we have no solid proof either way, and we have no way of getting proof of what was said."

"But we don't _need_ proof!" I objected. "Tara is innocent!" The other Guardians looked doubtful. I turned to Tara. "Tell them Tara, tell them you're innocent!"

Tara looked at me, sadly. "Jack, I..."

"You _are_ innocent, aren't you?"

"Yes, but... but North and Bunny are right. You have no way of proving that-you can't know for sure."

Bunny turned to face North, Tooth and Sandy. He gave me a slightly apologetic look, before saying, "Look, she can't stay here."

"_What?_" I struggled to keep my voice at a normal volume. "What do you mean she can't stay here?"

"Christmas is only days away," Bunny explained. "If she _is_ working for Pitch, then of she stays here, she could destroy everything!"

"But she _isn't_ working for Pitch!" I persisted. "She said so herself! You can't seriously be saying that you trust Pitch's word over hers? Pitch is a liar and trickster, you all know that!"

"Jack, just think about it for _one moment_." Bunny looked annoyed. "Say you're wrong. Say Tara stayed here, and she destroyed the whole of Christmas. Think what it would mean for _us_. Kids are already stopping believing-if children wake up on Christmas day to discover that Santa never came, just how much longer will they believe for? And it won't just be North-more children believe in North than these any of us-if children stop believing in him, do you think they'll keep believing in other little tales like the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, the Easter Bunny, like _Jack Frost?_ Do you really want to be not-believed in again, like you were before you were a Guardian?"

His final words were like a slap to the face. I knew that he was trying to get to me, to use my weaknesses to make me see his point of view, but it still _hurt_.

Apparently Tooth sensed what I was feeling, as she put a hand on my shoulder, and gave Bunny a warning look.

Bunny's expression softened slightly, as he realized that he'd gone too far. "Jack, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be harsh; I'm just trying to make you see. North can't take this risk-_we_ can't take this risk."

I swallowed, and fought to stay calm. "Look, I know you guys haven't spent that much time with Tara, but I _have_. I _know_ Tara- she's my friend. She'd never betray us."

"For all we know, that might have all been an act," Bunny said, quietly.

"An _act_?" My voice sounded dangerously quiet and contained, even to me. "What about _Morte Pavidum_? Was _that_ an act?" I remembered everything that had happened that night, and how it had felt. I lost all the control I had managed to have over my anger. "Was it an act when she wasn't breathing, when her heart stopped beating, when she nearly _died_?! Was it an act when she couldn't breathe because there was Nightmare sand in her lungs, and she nearly died _again_?! You're trying to tell me that was all an _act_?!"

Bunny looked as though he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. It was clear what he was thinking, however. _It could have been._

I was speechless. Why couldn't they see? Tara hadn't done anything wrong! Pitch was just trying to make us mistrust her.

"Jack," Tara said, softly. I turned, feeling a little more in control of my anger than I had been a moment before. "Bunny's right... You have no way of knowing if you can trust me or not. It's not worth the risk- I may not be working for Pitch, but he can still read my mind. Everything I see, hear, do or even _think_... he can see all of that, and I have no way of stopping it. It's not safe for you if I stay here. It's not safe for _any_ of you, and it isn't safe for the children, either."

"Tara-" I began, but I couldn't find the words. I didn't even know what I wanted to say.

North approached Tara, and pulled something out of his pocket. A snow-globe. "Go where you wish to go," he told her, "whether that be to your father or elsewhere. Just say to it your destination, throw it and walk through the portal."

Tara nodded, and took it. She raised it to her mouth, whispered something to it, turned, and threw it. A swirling mass of color appeared in front of her. She turned back towards us, and locked eyes with me. Hers seemed to glitter as they caught the light.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She turned and walked to the portal.

Seeing her on the verge of leaving broke me out of the trance. I started forward. "Tara!"

North caught me before I could reach her. She didn't turn back, but I could see through her body language she wanted to. She hesitated, then walked straight into the portal, which closed behind her.

I stared at the spot where she had been. I couldn't believe it. I'd let this happen, I'd let the other Guardians send her away. What kind of a friend was I? I turned to the others. "Why?" I asked them.

Tooth looked uncomfortable. "Jack... I'm sorry. If there were any other way, we would have taken it."

"There _was_ another way. She could have stayed here. She wasn't working for Pitch, surely you know that?"

"We can't have known for sure, Jack," North said, softly. "Besides, he can read her mind. She wouldn't have to deliberately work for him to be of use to him."

"She didn't have to know our plans," I pointed out, "she could have just stayed here. That wouldn't have done any harm. And while she was here, we could have taught her to block him out."

"We still don't know for absolute certain if she was working for Pitch or not," Bunny said. "I'm not saying I think she was, I'm just saying there was no proof. We can't take that risk."

"_We_ can't take the risk?" I laughed bitterly. "What about the risk she's taking? Say I'm right- every moment she spends away from the pole, away from _us_, she's in danger. If Pitch finds out, he'll kill her!"

North sighed. "Jack, we've tried to explain- _we_ don't want this any more than _you_ do. But we don't have any proof either way- if we had proof that she was innocent, we wouldn't hesitate to say she could stay here."

_Proof_. That's what it all came down to. They wanted proof of her innocence, of her loyalty to us. Mind made up, I walked to the doors to the balcony.

"Jack, where are you going?" Tooth asked.

"To get proof," I answered.

Bunny hopped into my path. "Oh no you don't mate. Pitch is out there-if he finds you out there on your own, who knows what he'll do to you!"

"At least it's unlikely that he'll be able to do more than hurt me," I retorted, "if Pitch finds Tara, he'll _kill_ her."

Tooth flew to Bunny's side. "At least stay for one night," she said concernedly. "Get some rest. That way if Pitch _does_ find you, you'll be ready for him."

I considered what she said. It seemed like a good idea, but then I thought of Tara. She was in danger every second she spent away from the pole. I couldn't afford to waste any time.

As though sensing my decision, North put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll be no use to Tara if Pitch should capture you," he pointed out. "Please, stay for one night. Get some sleep."

He had a point. "Fine," I told them. "One night _only_. But that's it. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

They nodded, satisfied that it was the best they were going to get. I walked out the Globe Room and back to the corridor on which my bedroom, Tara's bedroom and the piano room were situated. The whole way there, I kept imagining movement in the corner of my eye, but whenever I turned to look, there was nothing there.

I noticed that the door to the piano room was still open from when Tara left it earlier. I entered through it and looked at the piano. The book of music was still open on the stand.

I walked over to it and read the title. _'Time Forgets'_. I realized just how true those words were. People died, and in the end they were forgotten. Even famous people faded out of living memory in the end. But time kept moving on, bring new people to the world, only to forget them too. One day, Tara would die, and she would also be forgotten.

_'No,'_ I thought, _'you won't be forgotten. No matter what happens, I will always remember you Tara.'_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement behind me. Despite my mind telling me it was my imagination, I turned round. A Nightmare was standing in the doorway, and, I could react, it charged at me. I fell backwards, my head hit the solid wood of the piano stool, and I fell unconscious, drifting into a fitful sleep, disturbed by the visions brought by the Nightmare.

* * *

**Okay, I never meant for that kind-of-cliffhanger-y ending. I swear it just typed itself.**

**So... Tara's left and gone to who-knows-where, Jack's angry at the others for sending her away and is determined to prove her innocence, and, of course, there's the whole ****_'the-Guardians-are-no-longer-protecting-Tara-so-Pi tch-might-track-her-down-and-hurt-her'_**** problem. What do you think of the situation? Are you mad at Pitch for setting Tara up? Mad at the Guardians for falling for it? Worried about Jack, after that last paragraph? Worried about Tara, and wondering where she's gone? Please, tell me your thoughts on the story! I need your thoughts and advice so that I can improve and get better! (that and to make me happy that people review)**

**Till next time!**

**_MS_**


	12. Return

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG. It rightfully belongs to Dreamworks. I only own the plot and the OCs.**

**Hi there!**

**So, the summer holidays are finally here! Six weeks of time off school to relax! Not to mention all the stuff I'll be doing!**

**So, I'll apologize in advance for the amount of page breaks in the chapter. I felt this all had to go into one chapter, but there wasn't really a logical way to link it all together.**

**Anyway, thank you to ****_Svecounia_**** for following the story, and thank you to the following people for reviewing...**

**_rachealninja10:_**** I'm glad you see what I mean... and I definitely understand what you're saying. I have to say I agree with you about it only being a limited form of telepathy- I guess I didn't quite explain the telepathic link between Pitch and Tara properly- they have the link because they and father and daughter, as part of the direct bloodline rule. Normally, Pitch wouldn't be able to read people's minds like that. Does that make any sense?**

**_Froster:_**** Yes, I see your logic there. Also about the idea... that hadn't actually occurred to me. It's a great idea, but unfortunately, due to where my plot's supposed to be going, I can't use it! :'( However, I did ****_kind of_**** use it in a way, as you'll see at the end of the chapter. Thank you!**

* * *

Chapter Twelve-Return

Tara's POV

I took in my surroundings. The sky was dark, which meant it was still nighttime. Snow covered the ground and the trees, which made it a bit difficult to work out where I was.

Of course I knew _roughly_ where I was. I was in the woods outside Burgess. But the woods are a large place, and if you don't know them well it's easy to get lost. If that happened, then the best thing to do was keep walking in one direction until you either found somewhere you recognized, or you reached the edge.

I chose a direction and started walking. The events of the evening kept playing over and over in my head, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shut them out.

_Why?_ Why had I been so stupid? If I'd told the Guardians about my nightmares, or if I'd alerted them of Pitch's presence, then I wouldn't be here. I'd still be at the pole, sharing jokes with Jack, maybe helping North prepare for Christmas...

I slumped against a nearby tree. What could I do? I had no doubt that Pitch wanted me dead, and me being away from the pole meant it would be easy for him to do so. Should I have come back to Burgess? Would he expect that?

The chances were he wouldn't. He had been inside my mind, he knew how much I hated the orphanage; now that I was free and away from there he would never expect me to go back. That is, if I could find my way out of these woods.

I looked around and realized with a jolt that I _did_ know where I was. I got up and walked through some trees until, sure enough, the lake loomed in front of me. I realized that this must be the lake where Jack had died. It was frozen over with a thick layer of ice- clearly Jack didn't want anyone else to share his fate.

_Jack..._

Of all the Guardians, it was him I missed the most. Every time I thought of him, I felt a hollow ache in my chest. I had just lost the only friend I'd ever had. All because of a _stupid mistake_.

I blinked back the tears that once again threatened to fall. I had no right to cry- I had brought this upon myself. But I couldn't stop thinking of those moments before I left. The look of confusion he wore after hearing the conversation, as though he couldn't bring himself to understand the full meaning of it. Him refusing to believe I had betrayed them. I wasn't sure if that was because he really believed I was innocent, or if it was because he was in denial. Then seeing him so upset and angry, I felt guilty. I had caused this. As much as I hadn't wanted to leave, I also didn't want to cause him pain.

I forced myself to walk away from the lake. Soon I was walking through the streets of Burgess, seeing ordinary people going about their ordinary lives as the sun rose.

When I reached the orphanage, I stopped. I could still turn back- I could leave right now and never come back.

But looking at the doors, I realized that, though this place would never be _home_ to me, it was still shelter from the elements, and relatively safe. I'd left my belongings at the Pole- I had no food, no water and no money. I wouldn't last a day on the streets. I had no other option.

I stepped on to the threshold. The receptionist's eyes widened at the sight of me, and she quickly said something into the intercom. I looked around. Everything was just as I remembered.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder. I whirled round, half expecting it to be Pitch, ready to fight my way out. But it wasn't Pitch- it was Jonathan Yarris, the man who owned and ran the orphanage. He gave me a dark smile.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady."

* * *

"For the last time, Tara Lumen, _where have you been?_"

Mr Yarris' face was bright red and contorted with anger. When Mr Yarris gets angry, he seems to get larger and taller, and is much more intimidating. Once, this might have scared me. Not any more.

"I told you sir," I repeated, "I got lost in the woods." Not a complete lie. I _had _got lost in the woods; it just wasn't where I'd spent the last few days.

"_Lost in the woods?_ And what, may I ask, were you doing in the woods _in the middle of the night_?"

"I was going for a short stroll, for some air, you know, but because of the snow everything looked different, so I got lost."

"Bullshit!" he yelled.

I cringed. "Sir, there's a first grade class just down the corridor..."

Probably not the best thing to say at the time, as it only made him angrier. He slammed his fist down on the table, making it shudder. "Don't you tell me what I can and can't do inside my own office! I swear, if it weren't for the fact I'm too kind to do so, I would turn every single child in this orphanage onto the streets. It's too much hassle dealing with all you brats! Filthy, lying, scumbags, the whole lot of you! Now let's try again- _Where. Have. You. Been?!_"

"I told you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I haven't got time for this, I have better things to do!"

"Then why don't you let me go to my lessons? You're only going to get the same answer, not matter what you say."

Mr Yarris glowered at me, before saying, "fine. But this isn't over, Tara Lumen, not be a long shot. Now leave, before I change my mind!"

Gratefully, I stood and left the room.

* * *

I stared blankly at the space in front of me. Memories floated in and out of focus, so that I saw little snatches in front of me. The meeting of the Guardians, the lake, Jack smiling at me, Jack lying dead at the bottom of a dark pit...

"Tara Lumen, have you been paying _any_ attention since you sat entered my classroom?" Mr Humphries, my maths teacher, asked irritably.

"Sorry sir," I mumbled. I was having a lot of difficulty concentrating on the work, and Mr Humphries' low, droning, lulling monotone didn't exactly help me to pay attention.

"Perhaps you could tell us the relationship between the sides of a right angled triangle?"

"A squared plus B squared equals C squared, sir."

Mr Humphries narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Correct. Well, I'll let you off today, Miss Lumen, if you do the work correctly as well." He turned to the board and started drawing triangles on it. "Open your exercise books, and find the length of the missing side, marked_ 'x'_ on the diagrams, using Pythagoras' Theorem."

* * *

Half an hour later I was walking out the classroom. I had finished the work to Mr Humphries' satisfaction, which meant I didn't have to stay behind for detention.

Looking up the corridor, I saw a small girl with blonde hair fingering something shiny that caught the light. It took me a moment to recognize it as Cassandra, the girl whose tooth had come out the night I ran away.

Before I could check to see if she was okay, a couple of my classmates, Douglas Collins and his two lackeys, swaggered up to her. I tensed, ready to get involved. Douglas and his mates were the orphanage's equivalent of school bullies.

Sure enough, the three of them surrounded her. "What's that you got there, girl?" one of them asked.

"Looks like money to me," Douglas stated, "not a lot, but round here, money's money. You gonna give it to us, midget?"

Cassandra shook her head nervously. "It's mine," she said, quietly.

"Yeah, well I think it's ours now, unless you want us to beat the hell out of you first!"

This had gone far enough, I took a few steps towards them. "Hey, Douglas!" I said. They turned to look at me, as I stopped and folded my arms, taking a casual stance.

"What?"

"Why don't you go pick on someone your own size for once?"

"Why don't _you_ keep your nose out from where it isn't wanted, Tara _looser_?" He retaliated.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, I'll smash your face in!"

I laughed, humorlessly. "I'd like to see you try."

He narrowed his eyes at the unspoken challenge. "Oh yeah? Then maybe I _will_!"

He pushed past his lackeys and advanced on me. I calculated his move a moment before he made it, and, as he swung his fist for my face, I ducked and kicked him, hard, right where it hurts.

Douglas let out a high pitched, strangled yell that sounded more like a squeak, and bent over, clutching the injured area. "You'll pay for that!" He yelled, his voice sounding a little higher pitched than usual, as he waddled off, his mates following him.

I turned to Cassandra. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "What if he comes back, though?"

"I somehow doubt he will," I told her, "but, if any mean guys ever bother you again, then just kick them where I did, okay?"

"Okay." She paused. "You were right, you know."

"Right about what?"

She held up the item in her hands. A quarter. "About the tooth fairy. I put the tooth under my pillow like you said, and... she came." Cassandra looked at the quarter, thoughtfully. "Tara, if the Tooth Fairy is real, does that mean Santa, the Easter Bunny and people like that are real?"

"Of course they are," I answered. I knelt, so that I could look her in the eye. "Don't let anything anyone says stop you from believing, okay?"

She nodded. "Why is it no-one else believes?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "I think some of them feel they have to SEE something before they'll believe in it. What's the saying? _'Seeing is believing.'_"

"Do _you_ think that?"

I shook my head. "I think that believing is seeing," I answered, thinking of how immortals could only be seen by those who believe in them.

"I guess..." Cassandra tailed off, deep in thought. "I wish some of my friends believed," she murmured, so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

I was suddenly struck by an idea. "That's brilliant!" I exclaimed out loud.

"What's brilliant?" Cassandra asked, confused.

"Oh, Cassandra-" I paused. "_'Cassandra'_ is such a mouthful, do you mind if I call you Cassie?"

She shook her head. "I don't mind."

"Right then, Cassie... What time is lights out for your dormitory?"

"Six O'clock. Why?"

"Can you get everyone you know who'll come to come to dormitory K at five O'clock this evening? It should be empty at that time."

She nodded. "What are you going to do?"

I grinned. "I'm going to make them believe."

* * *

At five to five that evening, I sat on my bed, wondering if this had been such a good idea. Nobody at the orphanage believed, beside myself, and as it seemed, Cassie. It had been like that for as long as I could remember. Could I really change that?

_You have to try._ I told myself, sternly. The more kids who believed, the stronger the Guardians would be, and I got the feeling that if they were to beat Pitch, they would need all the strength they could get. If I couldn't help them by fighting along side them, then I would help them in any other ways I could.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called. It was time.

Cassie entered the room. Behind her were ten kids about her age: six girls and four boys. Some of them looked unsure and nervous.

"Hi," I said, giving them a reassuring smile. "You can sit down if you want." I gestured to the other beds.

All but one sat, some on the beds, others on the floor. Cassie remained standing.

"Guys, this is Tara. You know, the girl who saw the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy and Jack Frost on the roof a few years ago," she introduced, before she too sat down.

One of the boys looked at me. "Don't people say you're crazy? That you never _actually_ saw them?"

"That's what people say," I answered, "but I'm not crazy. I really did see them."

"What are they like?" asked a sandy-haired girl, whose name I think was Melody.

"Well..." I thought of how to describe them. "The Sandman is about this tall," I held my hand the right height above the floor to demonstrate, "he's completely golden, and he doesn't speak."

"He doesn't speak? How does he talk to people?" asked another girl.

"He creates little images using his dream sand. Like Pictionary."

"Dream sand?"

I frowned. "Uh... Okay, how much do you know about them?"

"Not much," Cassie confessed.

"Right..." I thought about how to start. "So... Santa Claus, the Sandman, those kinds of people, are what's known as _'immortals'_ or _'spirits'_."

"What does _immortal_ mean?"

"It means you'll never die. Immortals never age, they never die, but they can only be seen by those who believe."

"Is that why people say the photograph is empty? The one you took of them?"

"Yes, that is why. I didn't know as much about immortals back then as I do now. As I was saying, each immortal has a special role, something they contribute to the world. There are a great many immortals in the world, but there are five very special ones. They are called the _'Guardians'_, and their job is to protect the children of the world, like you, and like me. Now, who do you think these Guardians are?"

"Sandman!" Melody cried excitedly, celebrating her correct guess.

"Right you are, Mel- do you mind if I call you Mel?"

She shook her head.

"Okay... So, the do you guys know what the Sandman's contribution to the world is?"

They shook their heads. I sighed. I had _a lot_ to explain.

"Every night, Sandy travels all over the world sending his dream sand to all the children, giving them sweet dreams." I paused. "Which of you have had a really good dream recently?"

A boy raised his hand. "I dreamt that I became an astronaut, and I got to fly all the way to Pluto! Then I landed, and discovered these really cool aliens, who gave me lots and lots of chocolate! Although, come to think of it, after I woke up, there was a little bit of gold powder on my pillow- was that the dream sand?"

I nodded. "That's it. The Sandman gave you that dream."

"Cool! Do you think he'll give me another one like it?"

I laughed. "Maybe. So, who can think of the next Guardian?"

"Santa!" called a girl.

"Yep, Santa's a Guardian. I think you all know what he does."

"He brings all the presents and puts them in our stockings every Christmas!" The girl paused. "But the other older kids say that it was just our parents that did that."

"Don't you believe a word they say," I told them. "It's not true. How do you think the presents get to us here? Do you really think that Mr Yarris would pay for the presents of all the orphans?"

"That's true," another girl commented. "Mr Yarris doesn't care about us. He wouldn't buy us presents, he's a real grump."

"Yeah, he's like that guy in that Muppet movie. You know, the Christmas Carroll one," Cassie commented.

"Do you think if a bunch of ghosts appeared to Mr Yarris, he'd be less grumpy?" Mel wondered aloud.

"Maybe... Hey, why don't we dress up in sheets and haunt him! Maybe he'll be a bit nicer!" one of the boys suggested.

"I doubt he'd fall for a sheet," I laughed, "but you're welcome to try it."

"Is the Easter Bunny a Guardian?" asked a girl.

"Yes. Every year, a few days before Easter, he's hard at work painting and decorating the eggs, and then, on Easter, he hides them all, all over the world, for children to find."

"I remember going on an Easter Egg Hunt with my parents," commented a girl, "I found this shimmery pink one. It was really pretty!"

"That was him, wasn't it!" realized another. "The Easter Bunny hid it there!"

"The Guardians are so cool! I can't believe no one believes in them!" Mel said.

"_You_ didn't believe in them until today," Cassie pointed out.

"True. So, who's the other two?"

"Well, I think one of them is the Tooth Fairy," Cassie looked at me. "Is she a Guardian?"

"The _Tooth Fairy_? As if a teensy-weensy fairy with an obsession for teeth would be an awesome Guardian!" argued one boy.

"Actually, I think you'll find she isn't _'teensy-weensy'_ at all. She's actually about the same size as me." I pointed out. "She and he mini-fairy helpers collect the teeth for a reason." I remembered her telling me so at dinner a few nights ago. "_'Each set of teeth contains all the important memories of childhood.'_ If you ever forget something important, then the Tooth Fairy will help you remember." I left out the fact that she kind of did have an obsession for teeth.

"And before you say she isn't real, I can prove that she is!" Cassie interrupted. "Look!" She opened her mouth and pointed to a gap. "Ee eh ah or ah," she tried to say, before realizing her mistake. "I mean, she left a quarter," she said more clearly, ignoring the others laughs and giggles.

I smiled. "All right, so that's four of them. Who do you think the last one is?"

They murmured amongst themselves for a few moments. Finally, Cassie spoke. "Jack Frost."

I nodded, trying to ignore the hollow ache in my chest from hearing his name. "Jack Frost," I repeated softly. "The spirit of winter. He brings snow to towns, cities and villages all over the world, bringing fun with him."

The kids didn't look convinced, but I was determined to make them believe in Jack, no matter what it took.

"Every snow day, ever snowball fight, that's all his doing. You know those times when a snowball hits you, in the middle of a fight, but when you turn to throw one back, nobody's there?" They nodded. "That's him."

"You know, come to think of it, I remember Dr Bennett telling me a story once, about when he was nine and he accidentally went on this really cool sleigh ride, all through the streets, through cars, bikes, people, but he never hit any of it! I _bet_ it was because Jack Frost was in control!" a Cassie said excitedly.

"He told you a story? He's _never_ told _me_ stories!" Mel looked indignant.

"I was a bit nervous about the appointment... He was trying to make me less scared."

After hearing that story, they looked more convinced. I checked the time.

"Goodness, it's nearly time for you to be in bed! You should hurry before Matron calls lights out."

They protested, wanting to hear more about the Guardians, and about other immortals, but I told them firmly that I had said enough for one night.

"Tomorrow, if you come back at the same time, I'll tell you more." I promised.

They all left, with the exception of Cassie, who hung back, waiting till they had left, and Mel, who waited for her. I got the feeling the pair of them were close friends.

"Tara," Cassie started slowly, looking troubled. "If the Guardians are real, does that mean the Boogeyman is too?"

I struggled to hide the rush of emotions that came with the question. "Yes," I said, thinking carefully about what to say. "But let me tell you a secret." I looked her straight in the eye, so that she knew I wasn't lying. "As long as you're not afraid of him, he can't hurt you. Not to mention, the Guardians are out there to protect you from him. So there's nothing to fear, really."

She nodded, seeming happier than she had been before. "Goodnight," she said, giving me a hug, before leaving with Mel.

* * *

That night, I dreamt of Pitch.

Well, more specifically, my dreams were from his point of view. I think somehow, through sleep, the telepathic link had allowed me access to Pitch's mind.

_I surveyed the dark globe in front of me. It was a black, metal version of the one at the North Pole, and as I watched, lights were slowly flickering out. A Nightmare appeared by my side._

_ "What was the Guardian's decision?" I asked it, speaking in Pitch's voice._

_ The Nightmare snorted, yet somehow I understood it. _"The Guardians have banished the girl, my Lord. However, the winter spirit still believes that she is innocent. He is determined to prove the others wrong."

_ "Frost," I mused, "what to do about him. He's constantly getting in the way of my plans. I need him out of the game. I can't have him protecting that brat, Tara Lumen, from my every move."_

"I have temporarily seen to that, my Lord,"_ the Nightmare whinnied. _"He is currently unconscious and alone in a remote room back at the North Pole."

_ I grinned in anticipation. "Unconscious, you say?"_

_ The Nightmare tossed its head in confirmation._

_ "I trust that he is receiving nightmares as we speak."_

_ Again, the Nightmare tossed its head._

_ "Then let us take a peak at his fears."_

_ My vision went hazy, and then suddenly I was in an alleyway I didn't recognize. A blonde girl ran past me, and it took me a moment to realize that she was _me_. She looked scared and tired, but she kept running down the alley, only to discover that it was a dead end._

_ Pitch appeared at the end of the alleyway, and approached her, a knife in his hand._

_ A tear trickled down the other me's cheek as she stared at him in wide-eyed terror, and whispered, "Please, Jack, help me..."_

_ "He's not coming," Pitch said, raising the knife. "He never will. You're all alone, Tara, just as you always have been."_

_ She shut her eyes, as the knife flashed towards her. It was over fast._

_ My vision went hazy again, and I was back in Pitch's globe room._

_ "Interesting," I murmured, still speaking with Pitch's voice. "Their fears are so... similar. I wonder why. Perhaps, if I get the chance, I could ask her why. Assuming I remember between finding her and killing her." I turned to the Nightmare. "I have a job for you."_

_ It bowed its head. _"Your word is my command, my Lord."

_ "Find her."_

* * *

**So, that's it for this week. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Tara's Story

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to Dreamworks. I also don't own Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, it rightfully belongs to Ursula Moray Williams.**

**On a different subject-to all Whovians... What do you guys think of the choice for the next Doctor?**

**I'll admit, even though my knowledge of actors ect is very small, I still watched the half-hour program on Sunday, and by the time they announced him, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation...**

**But, unfortunately, I had never heard of Peter Capaldi. Which isn't surprising, since I have only ever seen him in the doctor who episode 'the Fires of Pompeii' (I think that was what it was called).**

**Mind you, the various speculations before hand were rather interesting. I'm not sure what I would have thought if the next Doctor had been female (no, I'm not being sexist-I'm a girl myself!). I think it would have taken some getting used to, after the previous eleven male doctors.**

**I'm sure Peter Capaldi will be a great Doctor (all the others were, so I'm pretty sure the people who chose him knew what they were doing). But, I must say, of the more recent Doctors, I think David Tennant will always be my favorite :).**

**_Anyway_****, back on task...**

**Thank you to ****_roseandsouffles_**** for following and favouriting the story.**

**Also thank you to ****_Froster_**** for reviewing: :) I'm glad you understand, and I see your point. Cassie will definitely be important in the story, as for Mel... She will be kind of significant. However, should I make some kind of sequel, Mel will definitely have an important part to play-aside from being Cassie's best friend. I don't have any problems remembering that Tara is blonde, but if there's something in the story that's made you think differently, can you let me know so that I can change it? :). Also, I really enjoy reading these long reviews-thank you!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen-Tara's Story

Nocturne's POV

In the form of a raven, I flew over North America, on the lookout for Nightmares. A couple of times I had seen one, also seeming to be searching for something. I wasted no time in destroying them.

A few hours later, my destination appeared in front of me. _Burgess_. I flew over the woods, the frozen lake and through the streets. I then circled over the town. No sign of anything strange. For a town that was supposedly the location of the person responsible for strange activities of the Nightmares, it seemed strangely... normal.

I landed on the rooftop of a large building that was taller than the others. I rested there for a while, ruffling my feathers, nervously. Something didn't seem right. Where were the Nightmares? The ones I had seen had seemed to be searching for something - what were they searching for? Why weren't they here, in Burgess, the place that seemed to be their 'centre of operations'? It didn't make any sense.

A nearby window opened, and a figure climbed out onto the roof, sitting next to me. It seemed odd to me, given the fact it was early morning, but who was I to question or condemn the actions of mortals? I ignored them.

I felt a gentle breeze sail past me, carrying a sense of mischief. It circled in a mini whirlwind, and April formed on my other side. I sometimes envied her ability to take any form she liked, besides other human forms, but whenever I did, I always realized that even if I had that ability, I would always take the shape of a raven when needed. I had always felt a strange connection to them, even as a mortal.

April turned to the figure sat on the rooftop next to me, and said, "Tara, what are you doing here?"

I cawed in surprise. _Tara?_ As the figure turned to face April, I saw that indeed it _was_ Tara. I allowed my form to shift, and turned back into my human self. "Why aren't you at the pole?" I asked.

"I-" She didn't seem to know what to say. Finally, she whispered, "I made a terrible mistake."

"What do you mean?" April asked.

Tara swallowed, as though to swallow down tears. I looked at her eyes, and saw they were glittering. "Hey," I said, gently, giving her hand a squeeze, "it's okay. It's okay to cry."

She shook her head. "It really isn't." Her voice was very steady, and if I hadn't have done the same myself many times, I would never had realized that the tears were there, waiting to be shed. "I have no right to cry - it's my own fault I'm here, in this situation."

"What do you mean?" April asked. From the tone of her voice, I knew that she also could tell that something was wrong. It was the tone she uses when the prankster in her _'goes to sleep'_, as Samhain puts it.

Tara stared out across the town, with a distant expression that showed that her mind was elsewhere. "Ever since I can remember... I've had these nightmares. At first they depicted an empty cave, then gradually, over the years, I began to see other things. Shapes in the shadows that eventually formed to become dark horses. Nightmares, though at the time I didn't know that was what they were called. I thought they were just a figment of my imagination. After a while, a man appeared in the room, getting stronger and stronger every time I saw him. The other weird thing about the nightmares is that, ever time I had them, I would wake up feeling more tired than I did when I went to sleep. I thought nothing of it, until one night, at the North Pole, I went to the Globe Room, and found a man. He was the man from my nightmares.

"Until that point, I had always assumed my nightmares were just that-nightmares. Having never had an ordinary dream or nightmare in my life, I had thought them normal, so I didn't see the point in telling the Guardians about them. That was my first mistake."

"Mistake?" I interrupted. "But you weren't to blame-how could you have known those nightmares weren't normal-you didn't know any different!"

Ignoring my statement, she continued. "The man told me who he was. He was Pitch Black, and according to him, I am his daughter."

April raised her eyebrows. "And you believed that?"

"It makes sense," Tara replied. "According to the Guardians, Pitch Black shouldn't have been able to return for at least another thousand years or so. However, because of the direct bloodline rule, he was able to draw vast amounts of power from me, which would also explain why I felt more tired when I woke up from the nightmares than when I went to sleep. Also, their last encounter with Pitch happened about nineteen years ago, give or take a few months, which would make sense if I was his daughter, as that meant that he could have had a relationship with a mortal woman then."

I had a thought. "Except if that were the case, your mother would never have survived childbirth. _'No mortal woman can bear the child of an immortal and live.'_ It's a fact not many know, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Guardians didn't know either. But you _have_ a mother, so you _can't_ be Pitch's daughter!"

She sighed. "Nocturne, do you know what this place is?" She gestured to the building we were sat on.

I shook my head, confused.

"It's called _'Burgess' Home For The Orphaned'_," she continued. "I've lived here ever since the day I was born, the day my mother died."

"She died in childbirth?" I said it like a question, even though I already knew the answer. Tara's mother had died in the same way my mother and Jack O'Lantern's mother had. The same way _any_ mortal mother of a half-immortal would die.

"What happened after Pitch told you who he was?" April asked, prompting Tara to continue the story.

"After that, we... talked. He said things, things that weren't true, and I denied them. What I didn't know, was that part of the conversation was had telepathically, that every time I denied him, it was actually said telepathically, meaning the only things said aloud were the things that would incriminate me. What I also didn't know, was that the Guardians were listening to the conversation.

"If I had called for help from the Guardians the moment I first saw Pitch in the Globe Room, or maybe even when he told me who he was, then what happened next might never have happened. After Pitch left, the Guardians revealed themselves. Only Jack believed I was innocent. North gave me a snow-globe and told me to go wherever I wished to go. So I came here. After that, I wanted to help them any way I could, so I've been trying to make some of the kids believe. I think I've managed it, with some of them."

We sat in silence, and April and I thought about what she had said. As long as she was away from the Pole, she was in danger. I remembered that the Nightmares I had seen had seemed to be searching for something. I was now almost certain that the _'something'_ was Tara.

Tara ducked suddenly, as a black object came hurtling out the sky at her. April and I immediately took defensive stances, or at least the best ones we could while attempting to keep our balance on a slanted roof. The black thing, which I realized was a bat, gave an irritated squeak as a bucket of water overturned over it, courtesy of April.

It transformed into a black cat with almost tabby fur, a white paw and blue eyes. I instantly recognized it and started laughing. "Gobbolino!"

"Who?" Tara asked, watching the cat cautiously, ducking once again as it shook the water from its fur.

"Samhain's cat." I answered.

"Well, he's really Nocturne's," April added. "She was the one who named him and persuaded Samhain to keep him. That, and Gobbolino prefers her to the rest of us."

"Gobbolino," Tara mused, "as in the witch's cat, who wanted to be a kitchen cat? In that story by... Ursula Moray Williams, was it?"

I turned to April. "See! I'm not the _only_ one who has read that book!"

"Never mind that, he has a message for us," she pointed out, reaching for a piece of paper tied to his collar. "It's a bit wet."

"I wonder why _that_ is," I muttered. She ignored me, squinting to read it. "What's it say?" I asked.

"It's from Samhain," she informed me. "The handwriting isn't neat enough to be Jack's. But I can't make out what it says."

"Give it here," I said, taking it from her. I studied Samhain's untidy scrawl.

_'Nightmares seem to be searching for something. Not sure what. Investigate Burgess and see what's happening there-but DON'T GO THERE ALONE. If that IS where they are based, then it could be dangerous. Be careful._

_S.'_

"Been there, done that," I muttered.

"What does it say?" April asked.

I read the note aloud.

"Does Gobbolino carry messages for you, then?" Tara asked.

I nodded. "Among other things." I twisted the shadows to create a ballpoint pen, and then wrote on the back of the note, _'Have already investigated there. No sign of any strange activity. Will tell you more when I see you. N.'_ I tied the note round Gobbolino's collar, and then he transformed into a bat and flew off.

"If the Guardians knew about what you've just told us, do you think they'd allow you to go back to the North Pole?" April asked Tara.

Tara shook her head. "They don't trust me. They have no proof that I'm working for Pitch, and they have no proof that I'm not working for him. For all they know, everything I've just told you, I could have made it all up, to make you trust me. If I'm at the Pole, I could ruin everything that they work for-that would mean the children stopping believing, and eventually them fading away. They can't take the risk."

"But what about you?" I protested. "You're not safe!"

"Wait a second," April interrupted. "Tara, tell us _exactly_ what they said, from the moment your conversation with Pitch ended. Actually no, tell us what you and Pitch said to each other as well. Maybe we can figure out what it is they want to know, what kind of proof they want."

So Tara told us everything, word for word. From the way she spoke, I somehow knew that the incident had been haunting her, running over and over in her mind, since it happened.

"So let me get this straight," April said. "The Guardians are prepared to believe Pitch Black, a liar, trickster and their worst enemy, over a kind girl who has been friendly to them ever since they met her, considers them her friends, and is quite clearly being set up. How messed up is that?!"

"Not _all_ the Guardians believed Pitch," I pointed out. "Jack still trusts her."

"I don't know that for sure," Tara said, quietly. "I'd like to think that he believed me and still trusts me, but for all I know, he may just have been in denial or something." She blinked back tears, apparently still thinking she had no right to cry. "I hope he does believe me." Her voice had dropped almost to a whisper. "The Guardians... they were the only friends I've ever had, and Jack was the closest to me of them all. I don't... I don't want to lose him too." She lost the little self-control she had, and the tears flowed freely, despite her attempt to wipe them away. "Oh God, what am I saying? I've already lost him, I lost him the moment I walked through that portal!"

I hugged her and allowed her to sob into my shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," I said, soothingly. "You have us."

"Not to mention, though I don't know much about Jack Frost - apart from the whole _'fun-loving winter spirit'_ thing - I do know one thing about him; he's stubborn. I bet, even as we speak, he'll be trying to persuade the other Guardians of your innocence."

Tara pulled away from me, wiping tears from her face, which currently wore a worried frown.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Is it normal to forget dreams when you wake up?" Tara asked, seeming to ignore the question.

"Yes, it's fairly common," I answered. "Why?"

"I just remembered... Last night I had a dream. I think that, somehow, I subconsciously used the telepathic link to enter Pitch's mind." She looked at me. "Is that even possible?"

I nodded, remembering the rare occasions when that had happened to me, and I had entered _my_ father's mind. It was like I had switched bodies with him temporarily.

"In the dream, he was with a Nightmare, and he asked it what the Guardians had decided. It told him that they had sent me away, but that Jack had been against the decision. It also told him that it had knocked him out, that he was having nightmares. I then... I then saw his nightmare. Not long after, I woke up, but I forgot all about it until now. Was it real? Do you think Jack's okay?"

"I'm sure he's fine," I said reassuringly, though I wasn't convinced myself. "Jack can take care of himself."

April, however, seemed to be thinking of something else. "Since you first arrived at the pole, did you get any other dreams or nightmares?"

Tara nodded. When I first arrived, I slept for a few hours before the meeting-you know, the meeting when I met you two, Jack O'Lantern and Samhain. When I slept then, I had a dream, but it was more a memory of something that happened a few years ago. After that... well... the next day, Jack and I visited a friend of his, Jamie, and we were attacked-"

"_Morte Pavidum_ doesn't count," I told her hastily.

Tara looked confused. "How did you-"

"After your fight with the Nightmares, Jack - O'Lantern, I mean, not Frost - found the remains and sent me a message. I went to the North Pole to let the Guardians know, and Jack - Jack _Frost_ - told us what happened."

"Oh. Right." Tara paused for a moment. "Where was I... oh yes, I remember, I was asleep. That night I dreamt of the previous day, having snowball fights with Jack, Jamie, and Jamie's son Christopher. The following night was the night I left-I had a nightmare. It was like the usual one, except this time he spoke to me. He said _'You are mine.'_ Among other things." She laughed bitterly. "The stupid thing is, after that I began to wonder if maybe the nightmares weren't all that normal, after all. I decided that the next morning I would tell Jack about the nightmares. But, of course, I never got the chance."

I thought about it. "You know, I reckon I might just be able to persuade the Guardians of your innocence, what with what you've just told us. If I word it properly, that is."

Tara perked up, and I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Really?!"

I nodded. "I think so. Although, if there's anything else you can think of that might help prove it, that will be extremely useful."

Tara thought for a moment. "My diary," she said, slowly. "But... tell them Jack is to read it first, and then he should judge what he thinks they should read. There are some things in there..."

I nodded. "Some of it's private. I understand. Where is it?"

"In the guest room at the North Pole, in my backpack with all my other belongings. Oh, and while I think about it... if Jack does decide to read it and he sees my most recent entry... can you tell him I'm sorry for not telling him the full truth?"

I nodded. "If he sees it, I'll tell him. If I may ask, though, what exactly is it you're referring to?"

"_Morte Pavidum..._ Tara said, softly. "One of the visions... it was worrying me, so I asked Jack about it. But I wasn't completely truthful about what the vision depicted. I was... afraid of what he might think, if he knew, and I was afraid of what it meant, because I had no idea what it meant. I still don't know."

"What if he doesn't read that part?"

"Then when I see him, I'll explain it myself."

I nodded. "All right. I'll tell him."

Tara smiled. "Thank you."

"You should get some sleep," I told her, "if you can."

She slid back through the window, and shut it behind her. April and I watched as she did so. She paused, her hand on the window. "Nocturne? Please... don't be too harsh on them."

"I won't be."

She closed the window. April raised her eyebrows at me. "Seriously? You're not going to be harsh on them?"

"I said I'm not going to be _too_ harsh on them. Her idea of what _'too harsh'_ means is very different to _my _idea, and she never specified which one she meant."

April laughed, then stopped, looking thoughtful. "She's so sad," she commented. "She reminds me of you, when you're thinking of-"

I sent her a look and cut her off. She apologized, and then we sat in silence for a moment.

I got up. "I should go," I said. "I may be faster than an ordinary raven, but it will still take me a while to get to the pole.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go instead?" April asked, "I can fly much faster than you-I'll get there sooner."

I shook my head. "Jack and Samhain will need backup if they get into anymore fights with Nightmares, and you have many more tricks up your sleeve than I. Besides, do you think the Guardians are likely to take you seriously? You _are_ the spirit of April Fools Day, after all."

"True," she sighed. "In that case, I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you. If you see Samhain or Jack, can you tell them about what Tara just told us?"

April nodded in reply, and I turned to leave.

"Oh, and Nocturne?"

I looked back. "Yes?"

"About Tara... and Jack Frost. Do you think she, you know... _Likes_ him?"

I nodded. "I think she does. I don't think she realizes it, but I think she does."

"What about him? Does he like her?"

"I don't know," I sighed, staring of into the distance. "I don't know."

I transformed into a raven and flew as fast as I could away from the rooftop, starting the long journey to the North Pole.

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**Please review!**


	14. Proof

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. It rightfully belongs to Dreamworks.**

**Thank you to the following people who reviewed:**

**_Froster:_**** I like trying to figure out what happens next in books as well. And thank you! As for the hair colour... her mother was blonde (though I haven't actually mentioned it in the story), and I chose the hair colour for a reason, which I'm afraid I can't explain at this moment at time (spoilers :D). About Sophie... I haven't really decided about her. She was one of Tara's teachers a long time ago (when Tara was six), as you'll see a slight mention of later, but I have't decided if she still believes in the Guardians or not. Since she was quite young during the movie, as she grew older she may have just written the whole thing off as a dream. So I haven't decided what her role would be. About Nocturne... you'll find out in the chapter :). As for Mel, Cassie and Tara... well, you'll see in the next chapter. :D**

**_Your Nightmare's Nightmare:_**** Well, they will read a little, but not much. However, Jack may read more at a later date...**

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Chapter Fourteen-Proof

Jack's POV

When I woke up, I was first aware of the fact that I was in a bed. That didn't seem to match with my last memory. I remembered there being a Nightmare in the Piano Room, and I remembered hitting my head. After that... only a nightmare. Or at least, I _hoped_ it was just a nightmare...

_'Please, Jack, Help me...'_

_'He's not coming. He never will.'_

A part of me knew that it would never happen. Not in that way. Tara would never let Pitch see her so scared and so vulnerable, she wouldn't want to give him that satisfaction. Not to mention that, although I was a friend, she knew that I couldn't always be there to help her, as much as I wished that I could be. It just wasn't possible-humanly, physically, or in any other way. Then there was the fact that she was quite capable of looking after herself, and even if it was hopeless, she would keep fighting till the end. Wouldn't she?

But I still couldn't get it out of my head. The look of terror in her eyes, her faith that I would save her, then seeing the despair hit her as she realised that I wouldn't. Seeing Pitch _tell_ her as much, seeing him tower over her fragile, mortal form, seeing that horrible smile as the knife slashed down. Watching her _die_...

_'Calm down Jack,'_ I told myself, _'It wasn't real. All you have to do is go next door and you'll see for yourself. She's safe-'_

But then I remembered. I remembered that she _wasn't_ safe, she had been forced to leave, that... _I needed to get proof of her innocence!_

My eyes flew open and I shot into an upright position. "Tara!" I cried, about to fly straight out the room and away from the Pole.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy there mate!" Bunny said, "You very nearly clobbered me round the head!"

I looked round. He was sat next to my bed, along with North, Sandy and Tooth.

"What... What happened?" I asked.

They exchanged looks. "We were hoping _you_ could tell _us_ that," North answered.

"Well..." I struggled to think straight. "I remember going into the Piano Room, you know, the one two doors down-"

"Yes, we know the one, that's where Phil found you, late yesterday evening. You were unconscious."

"Right. Well, I was attacked by a Nightmare, I fell, hit my head, and that's all I remember." I didn't particularly want to talk about the nightmare that had haunted my sleep.

I then realised what North had said. "Hang on, you said Phil found me yesterday _evening_. But the incident with Pitch was early this morning, wasn't it?"

"No," Tooth replied softly. "It happened early _yesterday_ morning. Jack... You've been out for just under a day and a half."

_"A day and a half?!"_ I tried to stand up, but North pushed me back down again. I looked at the clock, which, sure enough, said 2:30pm. "I have to go and find proof of Tara's innocence!"

"Jack, just wait a moment!" Bunny cried. "Crikey mate, are you out of your mind?! That Nightmare had you well and truly under, you need to rest!"

"That was the whole point of me staying here a while longer! To get rest! Besides, let's face it, I just got a day and a half's worth of sleep. I don't need any more."

"Jack, you were _unconscious_, and no doubt you were suffering from nightmares too. That hardly counts as _resting_."

"Well, if it's the fact I was having nightmares that's bothering you, then I can tell you now, what I saw is going to haunt me for a long time, so no matter how long I sleep for, I'll still get nightmares."

"Jack-"

_"I saw her die!"_ I yelled. That shut him up. I took a deep breath, and then spoke again, more calmly. "In my nightmares, I saw her die. I- I can't let that happen." I looked pleadingly at the four of them. "Surely you understand? I _have_ to find her and prove her innocence, so that she can come back, before it's too late."

They exchanged looks. Sandy shrugged, in a way that said _'Well _I'm_ not going to stop him.'_ Tooth looked unsure, North looked worried, but as though he agreed with Sandy anyway, and Bunny clearly didn't like the idea, but also knew there would be no stopping me.

"All right," North sighed in resignation. "You can go. But _be careful_."

I nodded. "I will."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Burgess came into view. It made sense for me to search here since this was where Tara had grown up. But where to look?

Would it be worth checking the orphanage? Tara had pointed it out to me when I brought her here to meet Jamie, so I knew where it was, but I couldn't help but remember the way she had described the place. She clearly didn't like it there, so would she go back?

Then again, she didn't have anywhere else to go, that I knew of. She may not like the orphanage, but she was sensible enough to realise that she needed food and a roof over her head - both of which the orphanage would provide.

I landed on the roof, walked to a window that had been left slightly open, and then hesitated. If I found her, what then? What did I plan to say? It was then that I realised I didn't even have a plan. I had been so worried about Tara, and so wrapped up with finding her, I hadn't even thought about what to do when I did.

I moved away from the window and looked up at the moon. "I don't suppose you have some advice, do you?" I asked. He didn't answer. I hadn't really expected him to.

Voices drifted up to me through the window. Several kids were talking excitedly, begging someone to "tell us more stories!"

"All right," a familiar voice laughed. "I promised yesterday I'd tell you more, so I will."

Carefully, I inched my way across the roof so that I was directly below the window. I then peered cautiously and saw that I had been right. The voice belonged to Tara. She had her back to the window, so she couldn't see me. There were about ten kids, all about five years old, sat around her, eager to hear what she had to say.

"Well, there isn't much more I can tell you about the Guardians, but in art today, I did draw some sketches..." I watched as she reached behind her and picked up several pieces of paper. I caught a glimpse of an extremely life-like sketch of Sandy, before she handed the pile to the kids.

"The Easter Bunny is so cool! He looks really badass with the boomerangs, and he's so tall..."

"Wow, the Tooth Fairy's so pretty!"

"How does Santa fit down the chimney? He's so big!"

I stifled a laugh at the last comment, as the kids continued to chat excitedly about the pictures. I wondered why Tara was doing this - showing them pictures of us.

I remembered something she had once said - that nobody at the orphanage believed, not even the younger children. But even if I hadn't been able to hear what they were saying, I would have known that these children believed strongly, just by being near them. I could _feel_ their belief, making me stronger.

Wait... Tara knew that belief made us stronger... Had _she_ made the kids believe, in us, in order to help us? Yes, that had to be it! She still wanted to help us, even though we had sent her away.

A girl's voice brought me back to the present. "Tara, is that Jack Frost at the window?"

I ducked quickly and prayed that Tara hadn't seen me. I wasn't sure why I was hiding from her, but I guessed it was because I didn't want to get her hopes up, by telling her what I was trying to do.

"Cassie, nobody's at the window," Tara said, puzzled.

"He ducked, just as you turned around. I think he's still out there now," the girl, Cassie, said.

I heard movement from inside the room, and I realised that Tara was coming to take a look. I quickly and silently moved to the side of the window, and then above it. Tara opened it fully, then stuck her head out, glancing from side to side.

"It seems you've scared him off, Cassie," she sighed. Something in her voice made me want to reveal myself and apologise for everything. I restrained myself, however.

Tara checked the time on her phone. "You guys probably better go and get ready for bed, else you might get caught out of bed after lights out."

After a few complaints and objections, I heard them leave the room. Tara returned to the window and scrolled through options on her phone. A photograph appeared on the screen. I squinted, trying to see what it was. I realised it was myself, Tooth and Sandy, on the rooftop of the very building I was crouched on top of. I could just make out the date it had been taken - just over eight years ago. If she'd seen us then, it would explain why she had continued to believe for all this time.

"Jack, if... if you're out there, and you can hear me... I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for everything, truly I am. And... I miss you. I wish things could have been different... I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I whispered, before taking off into the night sky, not waiting to see if she had heard.

* * *

I landed on the balcony at the North Pole and, for about the billionth time, asked myself if the fact that she was making kids believe would be enough to persuade the others that she was on our side.

I shook off the question. It would _have_ to be enough. What more proof could I get?

I was about to push open the doors, when I heard raised voices inside. I frowned, and pressed my ear to the door, a little apprehensively, remembering what happened last time I listened in on a conversation at the North Pole.

"So let me get this straight, you sent her away, not because you _actually_ believe that she's working for Pitch, but _just in case_ she is?" That was Nocturne's voice. She sounded _really_ mad.

"We had no _proof_..." North started.

"You shouldn't _need_ proof. You should have known her well enough, and you sure as hell know _Pitch_ well enough to know which of them is telling the truth! Besides, even if you didn't know her that well, from what I hear she and Jack were rather close, and he said much the same as I have just said. Tara would never betray you."

"How do you know that? You barely know her."

"You didn't see her. She was holding back tears throughout the whole conversation. She was _devastated_, I could see it in her eyes."

"Why? Surely us sending her away wouldn't have caused _that_?" Bunny asked.

"You _really_ don't get it, do you?" She said it like a statement, as though she didn't need an answer. Her voice echoed what she was feeling - bitter, shocked and amazed. "When you sent her away, she lost the only friends she though she had."

Silence. Then, after a few moments, Tooth spoke. "If that's the case, then... would she _want_ to come back? She must blame us... she probably _hates_ us."

"That's the worst of it," Nocturne said, quietly. "She doesn't. She blames herself."

Silence, once again. I decided that I should probably announce my presence. I knocked on the door, and pushed it open.

"Hi," I said flatly, unsure what to say. I didn't smile. They all looked surprised to see me.

"Jack," Nocturne said, worriedly. "Um... how much did you hear?"

"About from when you were telling them that they shouldn't need proof," I replied. She winced, apparently remembering her harsh words to the Guardians. "What did I miss?"

"Well, according to Nocturne, Tara's been making the kids believe in us," Tooth started.

"That's true," I said. "I saw her doing it my own eyes."

"Also," North continued, "Pitch has given her Nightmares since she was young, in order to gain more power, which would suggest that they're not on good terms. However, we don't have any proof of that."

"I may know where there _is_ proof," Nocturne said. "Tara mentioned a diary which she left here. She said that, if necessary, Jack could read it."

North looked to one of the elves. "Find it." It saluted and ran off. I wasn't sure if trusting the elf with the task was a good idea.

I also wasn't sure how I felt about reading Tara's diary. Clearly it was something private, else she would have said _any_ of the Guardians could read it. A part of me was happy that she trusted me so much, but another part of me wondered _why_, and whether she should.

The elf returned and handed the book to me. I stared comprehensively at the grey cover, on which the word '_Diary'_ had been written neatly.

Nocturne, seeming to sense my discomfort, said quietly to me, so that only I could hear, "You don't have to read all of it. Just read something early on, find a reference to her having nightmares, and if you see fit, show it to the other Guardians."

I nodded, and turned to the first page. It was dated twelve years ago, and the handwriting wasn't as neat as it was on the cover.

_'Miss Bennett said in class today that when things are worrying her, she writes them down, and it helps them to go away. I just hope it works for me too._

_You see, I get these nightmares. I'm trapped in a dark cave, and there are shapes in the shadows - horses of darkness, with glowing eyes, and in the middle of the room is a scary man, who stands with his back to me. It's so dark, and scary._

_Maybe now I've written this down, the nightmares will stop. I've had them for as long as I can remember, but it's not like I can tell anyone, because they won't care. After all, it's normal to have nightmares, isn't it? I wish they weren't so scary though..._

_I wish they would just go away.'_

I stared at the page for a while longer. Six-year-old Tara seemed so... so much more mature than she should be. You could see the childish tendencies, the handwriting was messy and it was quite clearly written by a child, but it was almost like she had been forced to grow up early on.

I mutely showed the page to the others, who read it in silence. I then took it back to Tara's room as they discussed what they had read.

I placed the book inside the backpack, and looked around the room. It seemed... empty, and lifeless. I felt a chill, not the kind that I was used to. It was like the room was haunted.

I shook myself and left the room, quickly. Just my imagination.

When I returned, the others were no longer talking. I looked round at them. "Well?"

The other four Guardians exchanged looks. "Well," North said finally, "I think we have enough proof."

I couldn't help but grin. Finally, things were turning out right. All we had to do was go to Burgess and bring Tara back, and she would be safe. "Well, what are we waiting for - let's go!"

"To the sleigh!" North boomed.

We all followed him through the corridors, though Bunny was rather reluctant. He _really_ did not like flying.

Nocturne stumbled, and I caught her. "Are you all right?" I asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling, though I could now see that she looked tired out.

"You must be exhausted after your flight here," Tooth pointed out concernedly. "You told us you flew here as fast as you could, without so much as a break. You should rest."

Nocturne shook her head. "I'm _fine_," she insisted. "I'm going with you."

"No, you're not fine," I told her. "You need rest. North has plenty of guest rooms, you can stay here for the night."

She sighed in resignation. "Fine."

North called to a nearby yeti. "Phil!" Phil came scurrying over. "Could you please escort Miss Moon to one of the guest rooms."

Phil did as he was told, and Nocturne followed him away from us, sending us one last glance before disappearing in the opposite direction.

I looked at North questioningly. "Miss _Moon_? As in-"

"Man in Moon?" North finished. "Yes. Nocturne is Manny's daughter."

This came as a surprise to me. I hadn't though of the possibility that the Man in the Moon might have children. But then again, it would explain Nocturne's age. I guess you really do learn something new every day.

We climbed in to the sleigh, and after zooming round the loop-the-loops, and North telling Bunny to stop ruining the paint work, we were soaring out into the night sky.

North took out a snow globe. "Burgess," he whispered to it, before throwing it ahead of us. The orb exploded, forming a swirling mass of colour, and then we were flying straight through the portal and to Burgess.

_'Hold on Tara,'_ I thought, _'we're coming.'_

* * *

**Okay, so once again, I say ****_'please review and tell me what you think!'_**

**:)**


	15. Pitch's Ultimatum

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to Dreamworks. I also don't own Harry Potter, that rightfully belongs to JK Rowling**

**Okay, so this chapter was in some ways difficult to write, but in other ways it wasn't. I knew roughly what was going to happen, since I have thought about it a lot since it's such an important chapter, except I never originally planned to have Mel involved... Anyway, I shall say no more on this subject.**

**Anyway, thank you to ****_chocykitty_**** and to ****_ArtIsMyWeapon12_**** for following the story, and thank you to ****_ArtIsMyWeapon12_**** for favouriting it.**

**Also, thank you to the following people for reviewing:**

**_chocykitty:_**** Yes, I do like Queen. And thank you!**

**_Froster:_**** Really? Sorry! I swear, I didn't steal the idea from you-I had no idea you had also come up with it! I described Nocturne (in chapter 4) like this: ****_The second girl was tall and slender, with pale skin that contrasted with her eyes, dress and straight, waist-length hair, all of which were midnight black. The dress was a long, elegant gown that swept the ground when she walked. Her eyes were outlined with black eyeliner and mascara, and her lips were also black. The girl was, by all definitions, stunningly beautiful._**** If you described her similarly, that might explain why you had the problem with remembering Tara's hair color, if you gave her the same name. Talking of the name, yes I'm fine with it. It's just a name after all - it's not like I'd have any legitimate reasons to complain, even if I wanted too. As for the Grim Reaper, I always imagined that the Grim Reaper, or Death as I usually think of him, would be a guy... I do have ideas about him for if I write another story, but he won't be related to Pitch. I've never really thought about Father Time, and as for Mother Nature, I have thought about a sequel in which she will be greatly involved. But, outside of this story, nothing is certain.**

**_Guest:_**** Your review is the other thing that persuaded me to update now... I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I only got back from France yesterday, and I couldn't update while I was there. Also, thank you!**

**On with the story!**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen-Pitch's Ultimatum

Tara's POV

I sat and stared up at the night sky. I thought about what happened earlier. Had Cassie really seen Jack? If so, why had he been there? Why did he hide when I looked? It didn't make sense. Had he been watching me? But why?

Then there was when I thought I heard him speak. _'You have nothing to be sorry for.'_ Had I imagined it? Maybe I really _was_ crazy.

I climbed back through the window and made my way back to dormitory K. When I got there I was surprised to see Cassie there, talking to one of the older girls from the dorm.

"But please, I have to see her! It's important!" Cassie pleaded.

"I don't care if it's important or not, I'm telling you she's not here, so scram!"

"What's going on here?" I asked. "Cassie, are you all right?"

"Tara!" She looked scared and panicky, but also relieved to see me. "You've got to come, quickly!"

She grabbed my hand and started trying to pull me down the corridor.

"What's wrong?" I asked her as I followed her to her dormitory.

"There was a scary man in the dormitory," she answered, "he took Mel!"

"Hold on," I stopped in my tracks. "Are you saying Mel's been kidnapped?"

Cassie nodded. "Yes, but matron wouldn't believe me. She said I was making up stories. But I know what I saw!"

"What exactly happened?"

"Well... I couldn't sleep, because I wasn't tired, so I was lying awake, when I heard this voice that I didn't recognize. He said something; I think it was something like _'this one will do.'_ I looked to see who it was, and I saw this man standing over Mel's bed. He was wearing a long black dress, he had black sticky-up hair and glowing orangey-yellow eyes."

"Wearing a dress? Do you mean robe?" I had a serious sense of foreboding and dread. _Please say no; please say it's just a weirdo in a dress..._

"What's a robe?"

"Um..." I struggled to think how to explain in terms she'd understand. "One of those things witches and wizards wear - like in Harry Potter."

"Oh... Yes, he was wearing a robe. Not a dress. Well, he picked Mel up, then he climbed onto this shadowy black horse and rode it out the window."

My heart sank. There was no other possible explanation - Pitch had taken Mel. But why?

Even as I wondered why, I realized that I already knew the answer. _To get to me. To lure me into a trap._

"Did you see which way he went?" I asked Cassie.

She nodded. "Towards the woods."

Of course. Where else? In the forest he could do whatever he wanted, and there would be no one there to see or hear.

I walked to the window and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Cassie asked.

"Going after them," I replied. I turned to her and gave her a very serious look. "Now, I am about to do something very dangerous, and you are _not_ allowed to do the same under _any_ circumstances - do you understand?"

She nodded, and watched as I climbed out the window.

"Don't worry," I reassured her, "I'll make sure that Mel makes it back." I purposefully didn't promise my own return - I didn't want to make a promise that I wasn't sure I could keep.

I then turned away from the window, and crawled cautiously along the roof. I slid down the drainpipe and ran towards the forest.

* * *

It had snowed a little a few hours ago, meaning the forest looked much the same as it had the last time I had been forced to come here, thanks to Pitch and his Nightmares. The only difference was that then I had been running away from them, but now I was running to them.

I was certain that this was a trap. Pitch wanted to kill me, but it would be difficult to do so while I was in the orphanage. He had taken Mel as bait, and I was running straight to her like a mouse in kids' cartoons is drawn to a mousetrap for the cheese.

But what else could I do? It was _me_ he wanted, not Mel - She shouldn't have to suffer in my place. She _wouldn't_, not if I had anything to say about it.

"Mel!" I called at the top of my lungs. "Mel, where are you?!"

Silence. I was deep in the forest now, but there was still no sign of Mel, Pitch or the Nightmares.

"Melody!" I tried again. "Are you there?! Can you hear me?!"

Suddenly, I heard a stick snap behind me. I whirled round, and saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I crept towards the place where I had seen it. There was a slight rustle to my left. I pulled back the branches of the bush where the noise had come from, revealing...

"Cassie?!" I exclaimed. "I thought I told you to not to follow me."

She shook her head. "You said not to climb out the window - you never said anything about following you."

I mentally cursed myself. "You shouldn't be out here," I told her. "It's not safe."

"Well I'm out here now, and you can't send me back on my own - I might get lost." She folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at me, as though daring me to say otherwise.

I thought about it. She was right - I couldn't send her back on her own, now that she was here, but I also couldn't take her with me. But which option was safer? Which should I do?

Then a voice came through the trees, making the decision for me. "Well, look who's here."

I whirled round to face him, pulling Cassie behind me as I did so. Sure enough, Pitch was walking swiftly towards me, gripping Mel's tiny wrist, who had to run to keep up. She looked pale and terrified.

I clenched my fists. "Let. Her. Go."

"Let _who_ go?" He asked, feigning innocence. "_Oh_, you mean _this_ little one?" He gave Mel's wrist a yank, and she stumbled, giving out a little whimper.

"She has nothing to do with any of this," I told him. "Please. She's just a child."

I subtly shifted my weight onto one foot. I then calculated the kick. If could hit his wrist in just the right place, then he would be forced to let go...

_'I wouldn't do that if I were you...'_ Pitch's voice echoed through my head. I cursed. I'd forgotten that he could read my mind.

He reached into the folds of his robes, and then took out a sword made of a black metal. He placed blade at Mel's throat, and then spoke aloud. "This sword was designed to kill immortals. Therefore, I believe it would have no trouble ending dear little Melody's life. If you want her to live, then you will not make another move."

I stayed perfectly still. "Please. I'm begging you," I whispered, looking him directly in the eye. "You can have me - I know it's me you really want - just let Melody go."

Pitch raised his eyebrows and lowered the sword, just a little. "You'll give yourself up for her."

"Yes."

Pitch sheathed the sword, released Mel and gave her a push in my direction. She stumbled, and I caught her. I pulled her into a hug. "Are you all right?" I whispered to her.

I felt her nod. "Yes," she whispered back. She pulled away. "That's him, isn't it? The Boogeyman."

I nodded. "But don't worry about that. You're going to be okay."

She frowned. "But what about you?"

I considered lying and telling her that I would be okay too, but I decided against it. I had to tell her the truth. "I don't know," I admitted.

I looked at Pitch, who had been observing the exchange boredly. "Are you quite finished?" He didn't wait for an answer. He approached me, slowly and deliberately. I pushed Melody behind me, along with Cassie, putting myself between them and Pitch.

"I must admit, I never expected you to come back here," he stated, "I knew you hated the orphanage. But I guess that's exactly why you did come back. Because I wouldn't expect it."

"Is there a point you're trying to make here?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt. "Or are you just pointlessly telling me things I already know?"

Pitch ignored me, and continued talking. "Then there's the strange matter of the sudden appearance of several lights on the globe in the area of Burgess. You can imagine my surprise when I realized the exact location. You've been making the children believe, haven't you? That gave you away of course. But then I expect you knew the possibility of that, didn't you? So why do it?"

"You wouldn't understand," I told him, "you've never had friends."

He laughed. "Friends? You mean _the Guardians?_ Ha! They never _cared_ about you; you were just a pawn to them! They abandoned you, left you homeless, forced you to return here - and you call them _friends?_"

"That was your fault," I retaliated. "You made them believe I had betrayed them!"

"My daughter, I only did that to show you their true nature. I care for you, I really do. I don't want you to get hurt." His tone was sincere, but I still didn't trust him.

"Oh, so sending Nightmares after me to kill me is _caring_ for me?"

"I did not send those Nightmares after you. I am strong, but still not strong enough to control _all_ the Nightmares in the world. The ones not under my control are attracted to you because you are my daughter. Why do you think I tried to warn you on the night of your birthday? I had learned that some were coming for you, so I tried to prevent what happened. I have only ever sought to help you, Tara."

"Liar! What about the nightmares you sent me! You don't care about me at all - to you I'm just a power source. You only sired me so that you could drain the power from me, like a leech! You're nothing more than a parasite!"

"Now, is that how you talk to your father? You should respect me more; after all, I gave you life. Without me, you would never exist."

"I wish you never had!" I yelled, suddenly angrier than I have ever been in my life. "I've been shunned all my life, people tell me I'm crazy all the time...those days at the North Pole were the best of my life, for a time I was _happy_. And you took all that away from me-you've never been a real father to me, all I am to you is a tool!"

"Don't you understand? Those days weren't real! They never cared for you - can't you see that?"

"Liar!" I could feel the tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes at the thought of what I had lost. _No, I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing just how much pain I'm in, thanks to him._

Cassie, sensing my distress, suddenly put on a brave face. "Leave her alone, you bully!" she cried, and before I could stop her, she rushed past me and kicked Pitch, hard, right in his soft spot. Pitch yelled in surprise and pain, and I saw anger flash in his eyes. I instantly regretted the advice I gave Cassie yesterday.

I grabbed her and Mel, turned back the way I had come and pushed them in front of me. "Run!" I cried, and we did so.

Branches whipped at us as we ran, and we were all tired, but I kept us running as fast as we could. Behind us, I heard Pitch utter a cry of outrage, and then yell, presumably to his Nightmares, "Get them!"

We kept running. The cries of the Nightmares were getting closer and closer, and I knew we could never outrun them. "Wait," I said to the other two.

I looked round. I knew where we were. We were close to the lake, which was presumably the one where Jack had died. I turned to Mel and Cassie. "Do you know the way out from here?" I asked them. They nodded. "Then you two must continue on your own. I'll draw them off."

"But what about you?" Cassie asked.

"If everything goes to plan, then I'll be fine," I told her, which wasn't strictly a lie. I did have a ghost of a plan, and if by some miracle it worked, I would get away.

The two of them gave me one last scared glance, and then ran off towards Burgess. I followed them for a short distance, and then went back, covering their tracks as I went. I then sprinted in the direction of the lake.

My plan was to get across the lake before the Nightmares, and then to smash the ice so that they couldn't follow. I was confident that the ice would be thick enough to walk on, since I was certain Jack would never allow anyone to share his fate. I just wasn't sure that I could break it.

I reached the lake. My progress immediately slowed, as I couldn't run on its surface. I had never been ice skating, but I had a feeling that this was what it was like - slipping and sliding on a surface not fit for walking on, and generally not getting very far.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nightmares skirting round the edge of the lake. I was surrounded. They pressed in on all sides, and I readied myself for a fight.

I turned to face the way I had come, in time to see Pitch emerge from the trees. He broke through the ranks of the Nightmares and faced me, his expression one of pity and remorse, though I could tell it was fake.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Tara," he said, reaching out and putting a hand on my shoulder. "We are more alike than you think. If you join me, then we can defeat the Guardians once and for all. We could rule the world, together!"

I shrugged off his hand. "I would rather die," I told him, with absolute certainty.

Now Pitch attempted to look sad. "But if you do not join me, then you will have to! I cannot allow you to keep boosting the children's belief in the Guardians, but I don't want to kill you! You are my daughter - I love you."

"You aren't capable of love," I spat, "all you are capable of is hate and spreading fear. So you can stop lying and get it over with. My answer will always be the same."

Pitch's eyes narrowed, and all pretence was abandoned. "So you're right," he growled. "So I never loved you. So I only wanted you for the power you could give me. So I sent the Nightmares after you to kill you when you were no longer useful. But I have seen what you can do - you are an excellent fighter. I can use that! I don't _want_ to kill you, because I think you could be of great use to me. But if you don't join me, I _will_ kill you, and I will feel no guilt in doing so. There is no escape for you Tara."

"I know," I told him, "and my answer still remains the same."

"What is the use in dying!?" he yelled. "What can you achieve?! _Nothing!_ You're better off at my side, helping me!"

"You're wrong," I told him. "There is something I can achieve. By remaining loyal to the end, by not betraying my friends, I can be a true friend to them, and perhaps even make up for the mistakes I made."

"You're a fool." He backed away, retreating through the ranks of the Nightmares. "But if you want to throw your life away like this, then so be it." He turned to the Nightmares. "Kill her."

The Nightmares rushed at me, all at once. A part of me just wanted to give up and die, but even as the thought appeared, it was erased. If I was going to die, then I was going to go down fighting.

I remembered what I had learnt from the many martial arts classes I had taken, and allowed instinct to take over. I spun, dodged, kicked and hit the Nightmares, moving so rapidly and fluently it was like one constant movement. It was more difficult to fight on ice than on ordinary ground since I kept slipping and sliding, but I used it to my advantage, using the momentum to put more force into my kicks. All around me, the Nightmares either burst into pieces or turned to dream sand.

The last one disintegrated, and I stopped. The ice around me was covered in black and gold sand, and Pitch stood at the edge of the ice, glaring at me. I glared back, defiantly, and thought _'you'll have to do better than that.'_

Pitch's voice echoed in my head. _'Oh I will. It seems that the saying is true - if you want something done, you really _do_ have to do it yourself.'_

He walked towards me, slowly and deliberately. I wasn't sure if I should run, or if I should stand to face him. If I ran, then he would just follow. He would then hurt Cassie, or Mel, or one of the other children, to get to me. But if I stayed, then he would almost certainly kill me.

I thought of Mel and Cassie. _Better me than them._ I then thought of the Guardians. _I'm sorry._

Pitch was now a few feet away. I braced myself for whatever he had in store for me. Suddenly, I noticed a faint light, illuminating the ice in front of me. I looked down, and realized the source was at my throat. _The necklace Jack gave me._ It glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding, and then, right in front of me, preventing Pitch from reaching me, an icy barrier formed. A thick wall of ice, spanning across the lake, seven feet in height.

Pitch was furious. He pounded his fist against the wall and yelled muffled insults. But the barrier held against his attempts to break it

I considered running. Leaving Burgess, and making sure he _knew_ that I'd left. That way he'd know there'd be no point in harming Melody or Cassandra. They'd be safe. After all, they should already be back at the orphanage by now...

"Tara!"

I turned, and my heart fell. Cassie stood at the edge of the lake behind me.

"Cassie, what are you doing here?" I cried. "I told you to return to the orphanage!"

"I was worried about you. I was scared that the bad man would get you!"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I can hold him off," I lied, "but you need to run! Find Mel and go back to the orphanage!"

"What about you?" She looked worried.

"I'll be fine," I lied. I knew now that Pitch would go after her if I got away. I couldn't let that happen. I most definitely wasn't going to be _fine_.

She backed away slowly, unsure. I gave her another reassuring smile, but she didn't return it. Instead, her eyes grew wide and terrified. _"Tara!"_ she screamed.

It was only then that I realized that the glow of my necklace was dimming, only then I realized that the ice-wall was cracking. I turned in time to see Pitch's hand punch through the ice, reach out and grasp the pendant. He gave it a sharp yank and I momentarily felt the chain cut into my neck before it snapped. The ice-wall shattered into a million tiny pieces, and before I could react, Pitch stepped forward and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me up into the air.

I struggled to breathe, but Pitch had cut off my breathing entirely. I clawed at his fingers, trying to force them to release me, but he was just _too strong._

He gazed on at my futile attempts to free myself and to breathe without a trace of emotion. "I'm a forgiving father," he told me, "you still have a chance. Join me, and I will let you live."

_'Never!'_ I thought.

"Then I have no further use for you," he said, simply.

I saw him draw something from the folds of his robes, saw it flash in the moonlight, and then I felt a flare of pain in my chest. Pitch released my throat, yanked his other hand backwards, and I fell onto the ice. The sword in his hand, the same sword he'd threatened Melody with, was stained up to the hilt with blood. _My_ blood.

I heard Cassandra scream in terror, realizing what he had done. _'Run!'_ I thought, desperately. I heard the crunch of footsteps on snow as she ran away, and I sighed in relief.

My breathing was ragged and painful, and my chest felt strangely wet. It took me a second to realize that I was lying in a pool of my own blood. I was _dying_.

Pitch spoke, menacingly, his voice filling me with dread. "I want you to die afraid, Tara," he hissed, "I want you to be alone, and to have no comfort. I want you to die in the knowledge that I will destroy the guardians one by one, and _nothing_ will stop me. You are dying for _nothing_."

I shut out his words. I _would not_ die in fear. I may not have had the best of lives, but I'd made the best of what I had. I had even had a few bright days of happiness towards the end.

I closed my eyes, and remembered. I could see everything as clearly as if it were in front of me.

I remembered eating dinner with the Guardians, and the following night with Jamie, Jack and Christopher. I remembered the children at the orphanage, listening adamantly to my stories. Every friend was smiling, talking and laughing. I wished it could have lasted forever, but then again, I have never had that. I pictured each of them in turn.

_'Goodbye.'_

I pictured Jack's face. He was smiling that mischievous smile of his, asking if I trusted him, making me chase him round the North Pole, challenging me to a snowball fight. I realized then, that ever since that day we met, I have been unable to stop myself from falling in love with him. The thing I wished most of all, was that it could have been.

He smiled his other smile, the one that filled me with warmth and happiness, and that somehow chased all the bad things away.

I smiled back at him, and breathed my last.


	16. Early Morning Patients

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Rise of the Guardians', it rightfully belongs to DreamWorks.**

**So, like I said, I'm writing an extra chapter. A very short one at that. This is because I felt that it would be easier to explain this in... this person's POV, instead of having them explain it in a later chapter. That and it gave me the chance to show what happened to another character that a few of you have been asking about. So, here it is.**

**Thank you to ****_Alysiana_**** for favouriting and following my story.**

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Chapter Sixteen-Early Morning Patients

Jamie's POV

I awoke to the sound of the telephone. I glanced at the time. One O'clock in the morning. I groaned, at picked it up.

"Dr Bennett here, how can I help you?" I tried not to sound too grouchy, since it was probably a patient.

"Oh Jamie!" The woman on the other end cried. "I'm sorry it's so late... well I guess it's early, actually... but Michael just fell down the stairs, and I'm worried he might have concussion or something, and he's got this awful gash on his forehead, and it's bleeding a lot, and-"

"Sophie, calm down a moment," I told my sister. It took me a moment to remember who Michael was. Oh, of course. Her boyfriend. "Take a deep breath. Right, now, first thing's first, have you made an attempt to stop the bleeding?"

"Yes, I've been pressing a towel to the gash, but there's still a lot of blood..."

"That's normal for a head wound. Apart from that, there's not much you can do apart from take him to hospital."

"Hospital? Can't _you_ do something?"

"Sophie you're in _New York_. What am I supposed to do?"

"Jamie, I was going to make it a surprise, but... I've come back. To Burgess."

"You have? Where are you living? What's the address?"

I wrote it down on a Post-it note. It wasn't far - I could walk. "Alright Soph, I'm on my way."

I hung up, and pulled my clothes on. After doing work experience as a teaching assistant at the orphanage twelve years ago, Sophie discovered that she enjoyed teaching, and found the idea of becoming a teacher appealing. After she graduated, she trained to become a teacher, and then moved to New York to teach at primary schools there. Michael was one of the other teachers at the school where she worked. I wondered why they had moved here.

I paused outside Christopher's bedroom. I was reluctant to leave him alone, especially after what happened a few days ago. But what choice did I have? I couldn't exactly say no to Sophie.

I pulled on my coat, and then walked out the front door, locking it behind me as I went.

* * *

"So why did you move back here?" I asked Sophie, after I had bandaged up Michael's head, confirmed that he didn't have concussion, and sent him to bed.

"We're getting married," she replied, "and we thought that Burgess would be a nicer place to raise a family than New York."

"That and if your kids grow up here, they'll get to know Jack," I added. "Well, congratulations. When's the wedding?"

"Next summer," Sophie replied. She paused for a moment, and then asked, "If you don't mind me asking, who's Jack?"

I gave her a bemused look. "You know. White hair, blue eyes. Jack Frost."

She laughed. "Jack _Frost_? You had me going there for a second Jamie, I thought you were serious!"

"I was," I told her, frowning. "You remember him, don't you? All those snow days? All the good times we had? You can't have forgotten, surely!"

"They were just _games_ Jamie. Don't tell me you still think it was all real!"

I stared at her, stunned. What had happened, during the eight years that she'd been away that could make her think that?

I forced a carefree smile. "Of course not." I stood up. "Well, I must be going. Don't worry too much about Michael, he'll be fine, and congratulations on your engagement."

I left. I had always known that, due to Sophie's age at the time, as she got older she believed what had happened between Pitch and the Guardians to be a dream. I had also always known that her belief had never been as strong as mine and that it was extremely likely that she would one day grow up and move on. But when she had got through graduation still believing, I thought that maybe I was wrong. Maybe she _would_ continue believing. But she didn't. I guessed it was the years away and not seeing them that had done it.

My thoughts were interrupted by a panicked cry. "He _killed_ her! _He killed her!"_

I quickly followed the sounds of terrified, uncontrollable sobs to their source.

Two young girls sat, their backs against a wall, sobbing and crying hysterically. It took me a moment to recognize them. Cassandra Gray and Melody Lewis, from the orphanage.

I knelt down beside them. "Hey," I said gently. "It's me, Dr Bennett. Do you recognize me?"

Melody looked up and nodded. Her eyes weren't too red, and her cheeks weren't that wet, so she hadn't been crying for long. Cassandra's face, on the other hand, was red and blotchy from crying.

In the state they were in, I didn't feel that they could be sent back to the orphanage. The staff there would probably question them as to why they were out so late - or as Sophie put it, early - instead of finding out what was wrong and helping them.

"It's okay," I told them softly. "I'm going to help you. Come on."

After a lot more reassurance and persuasion, they finally got up and followed me home.

* * *

I handed them each a hot chocolate. They were both still sobbing hopelessly, and I couldn't help but wonder if it would help at all. Something had really spooked them.

"Alright, so would you like to tell me what happened?" I said kindly.

This went on for a while. They were both greatly distressed, and it was difficult to make any sense of what they were saying. All I could discern was that they had been with a friend, something about the lake, and that a man had killed her. As for the last statement, I thought that they were probably mistaken or over-exaggerating, but I couldn't go to the lake and find out. I couldn't leave them or Christopher here on their own.

I was about to try and ask them again for the eleventh time what had happened, when I heard a knock on the door.


	17. The Lake

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. I only own the plot, and the OCs.**

**Hi there.**

**I'm sorry it's late, and I'm sorry that it's shorter than most my chapters, but here it is... chapter seventeen.**

**Thank you to ****_Alysiana_****, ****_Morikhelek13_**** and ****_twinpowersactivate_**** for following ****_and_**** favouriting my story, and thank you to ****_authoratheart2017_**** and ****_The Forgotten Stark_**** for following it. Also, thank you to the following people for reviewing...**

**_ChibiKawaiiTenshi:_**** I've now added into the information about the story that the main characters are Jack and an OC, so it should show that underneath the status... is that what you meant?**

**_twinpowersactivate:_**** Out of curiosity, what exactly gave you this reaction?**

**_The Forgotten Stark:_**** Thank you! Is this soon enough?**

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Chapter Seventeen-The Lake

Jack's POV

"North, I just remembered, I told Jamie I'd bring him a Snow-globe so that he and Christopher could get away easily, should they be attacked." What with the chaos of the past few days, I had completely forgotten. I was suddenly filled with anxiety and guilt. What if something had happened? "Do you have a spare I can take to them?" I asked him.

North reached into the pocket of his big, red coat and pulled one out. He handed it to me. "If you show us which building the orphanage is, we'll get Tara and then meet you at Jamie's house."

I pointed out the orphanage. I was reluctant not to be there when they found Tara, but this issue was just as important. Tooth sensed my reluctance, and she put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry," she told me, "we'll find her. You just worry about keeping Jamie and Christopher safe."

I nodded and jumped off the side of the sleigh. I drifted down to his house and landed just outside the front door. There were lights on inside, which I thought was odd considering it was early morning.

I knocked on the front door. A minute later, Jamie opened it. He was fully dressed, which I thought was odd, considering the time, and he seemed completely surprised to see me. "Jack!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night!"

I handed him the snow-globe. "I brought this. Sorry I didn't bring it before. Talking of the middle of the night, why are you up?"

He sighed. "Sophie... Sophie's fiancé had a bit of a fall, so she phoned me to ask to go and give him a check over to see that he was okay."

"I thought Sophie was in New York. I thought she moved there not long after she graduated."

"She was, she... she moved back."

Jamie seemed to be a bit hesitant on the subject of his sister. "Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned. "Is it her fiancé? Is he all right?"

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, he's fine," he sighed. "It's just... I don't think Sophie believes anymore."

I nodded sadly, signaling that I understood. I think we both knew it would happen some day, but it was still a shock.

"I'm sorry..." Jamie started, but didn't finish.

"It's okay," I sighed. "I'd rather hear it from you than find out when she walks straight through me."

He nodded mutely. He seemed to be considering whether or not to tell me something.

"There's something else, isn't there," I prompted. "Something else is bothering you."

Jamie glanced quickly over his shoulder, and the replied, "Yes. On my way back from Sophie's house, I found two young girls in the streets, crying hysterically. I brought them back here and managed to calm them down a bit, but I haven't been able to make much sense of what they're saying. All I know is that they were with a friend, who they're absolutely convinced was killed by some man - though I think it highly likely they're exaggerating - and something to do with the lake."

I understood where this was going. "You want me to go and check by the lake and see if anything's wrong."

Jamie nodded. "If it's not too much trouble. It's just... I don't want to leave Christopher, Cassandra and Melody here on their own while I go and check, but if there is someone hurt out there, I don't want to just leave them there to suffer and possibly die. You don't have to come back here if I'm not needed, but could you just go and check if someone's there and, if so, if they're okay."

I nodded. "I will. If they need help, as in medical help, I'll bring them to you. If not... then I won't bother you, in case you've gone to bed."

"_If_ I can get any sleep, what with the two girls..." Jamie mumbled.

He retreated back into the house, and as he did so, I caught a glimpse of one of the girls inside. Something about her seemed familiar, but I ignored it.

I leapt into the air and let the wind carry me to the lake. From the air I could instantly see that something was different. I could see strange, dark swirls and shapes on the surface.

I landed at the lake's edge and walked onto the surface. The place itself was deserted, but whoever had been here had left a mess. Black Nightmare sand. Clearly, whoever this 'friend' of those two girls was, they weren't normal. No normal person could fight off as great a quantity of Nightmares as this person must have done.

I thought about the age of the child I had seen in Jamie's house, just before he closed the door. This 'friend' must be immortal. The girl was clearly young enough to believe... it would explain how they'd managed to hold off all these Nightmares.

I then noticed as I got near to the centre of the lake, that scattered across the surface like broken glass were lots of small shards of ice. That puzzled me. The surface of the lake wasn't even slightly cracked, so where had this ice come from?

I reached the centre of the lake. There was a large pool of some kind of dark liquid. It took me a second to realize that it was blood.

I felt sick. I found myself hoping that my theory about the 'friend' being immortal was correct. No mortal could survive losing this much blood.

I called out. "Is anyone there? Are you hurt?"

No answer came. It seemed likely that either they had left, or they had been taken away. I was about to leave to find the Guardians when something at my feet caught my eye.

At first glance I had mistaken it for another shard of ice, but now I realized that it was too well formed.

I knelt and picked it up. It was a bloodstained, many-pointed star, suspended from a snapped chain. For a second I didn't recognize it, but then I _remembered_.

_"North... would you be able to work some kind of magic on...I don't know...a necklace, say, that would act as protection?"_

_"The magic isn't very strong, but should be strong enough to hold off attackers long enough for someone to come to her aid."_

_"This should protect you should something like what happened yesterday happen again."_

It was Tara's necklace. The one I had given her, to protect her. But if that was here, with the chain snapped... what happened to her?

I then thought of the girl I had caught a glimpse of at Jamie's house. She had seemed familiar, though at the time I didn't know why. But now I knew. She was one of the children Tara had been making believe. The one who had seen me at the window - Cassie.

I began to realize what had happened here. Pitch must have found Tara... Maybe he used Cassie and the other girl to get to her. Tara had come to the lake and fought his Nightmares, and the necklace had protected her. But the protection had only ever meant to be enough to hold Pitch off until someone could come to her aid. But, just like in my nightmares, nobody had come. Which meant...

_Tara was dead._

My vision blurred with tears. _Why?_ Tara never deserved to die. I shut my eyes in an attempt to shut out the blurred image before me, but all it did was allow me to see new, clearer images. Images of what most probably happened here, images of _her_.

But worst of all was the knowledge that it was my fault. If I had stopped Tara from leaving the pole, she'd still be safe; she'd still be alive. I had failed her, and now, she was gone forever.

* * *

I'm not sure how long I knelt there for, head bowed, weeping.

Some time after I discovered the necklace, I heard a voice behind me.

"Jack, there you are, we've been looking everywhere for you!" It was North.

"Crikey, what happened here?" Bunny's voice asked.

There was a silent pause, in which I guessed Sandy was speaking. Then the black Nightmare sand started turning gold, forming animals and floating away.

It was then, that Tooth spoke.

"Oh my God!" She gasped, "Jack, what happened?" She flew over to me and pulled at my shoulder, trying to get me to turn round. "You're hurt, we have to stop the bleeding!"

_Bleeding?_ I wasn't bleeding. Then I realized what she was thinking.

"Tooth, it isn't mine," I tried to explain. My voice, I noticed, was hoarse from crying.

"Bandages, we need bandages," she continued, though whether she was ignoring me or whether she just didn't hear, I wasn't sure. "North-"

"Tooth, it isn't my blood." I said, a little louder, turning to face her. "It's hers." I fought to keep my voice steady.

Tooth looked confused. "'Hers'? But who-" Then she saw the necklace in my hand, and realization hit her. Her eyes grew wide with shock. "No..." She looked at the pool of blood. "No mortal could survive this much blood loss... No... She can't be..."

"Tooth, what's wrong?" North asked confused.

Bunny, however, understood. "Oh God..." he said. "It's Tara, isn't it? She's... _dead_."

"Oh Jack, I... I'm so sorry," Tooth whispered, hands over her mouth and eyes sparkling with tears.

We remained in silence for a while. Finally, North broke it.

"We should go," he said, quietly. "There's nothing more we can do here."

I stood, pocketed the necklace, and followed them to the sleigh.

I sat the entire journey in silence, feeling detached from the world, not really hearing their words. I don't know what they were saying, whether they were trying to comfort me, or apologize, or something else entirely, I didn't know.

All I knew was that Tara was dead. Pitch had killed her.

And I personally was going to make sure that he paid for it.

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**Once again, I say... please review!**

**Seriously, I ****_really_**** need to know your thoughts at the moment... I've never written a character's death and the reactions of those close to them before (well, maybe once, but that was just a draft and I'm not that pleased with it anyway), so I need to know how well I did and what I can do to improve!**

**I'm not sure when the next update will be, since this one was so late, but I'm aiming for on time (Monday). No guarantees though...**

**Till next time!**

**_MS_**


	18. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG, I only own the OCs and the plot.**

**Hi**

**Thank you to ****_Savarra_**** for following the story, thank you to ****_grapejuice101_**** for favouriting the story, and thank you to ****_minnie015_**** and ****_Gotta Love Winter_**** for following ****_and_**** favouriting the story. Also, thank you to the following people who reviewed:**

**_rachealninja10:_**** I wish I'd thought of that while I was writing it :(... but I will certainly remember it, and use the ideas later on... thank you!**

**_twinpowersactivate:_**** I'm glad somebody noticed... :D**

**_grapejuice101:_**** Thank you so much :')... I aim to update every Monday (although it doesn't always happen that way).**

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Chapter Eighteen-The Aftermath

Nocturne's POV

I stood in the globe room. After the Guardians left, I got a few hours sleep, and then came here. Now that the Guardians knew of Pitch's plans, Pitch was no longer trying to conceal his efforts to stop the children from believing. One by one, the lights were flickering out.

A yeti entered the room and spoke to me in his language. Fortunately, I guessed what he was trying to say.

"They're back?"

He nodded, and led me to the sleigh. The Guardians were disembarking. Or at least, four of them were. Jack Frost was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Tara. North, Bunny and Tooth were strangely quiet I noticed.

Ignoring this observation, I asked, "Where's Jack?"

The four of them looked at me, startled. Clearly, they hadn't noticed I was here.

Sandy was the first to recover. He pointed upwards.

"On the roof?" I guessed. They all nodded. "I take it Tara's with him then?"

They exchanged looks. I stood there, confused. What was going on?

"You did bring her back, didn't you?" I asked.

Tooth shook her head, sadly. "We were too late."

"You mean she left? But why... she knew I was going to talk to you about bringing her back here, why would she leave?"

"She didn't leave, Nocturne," North answered.

It was then that I realized what they meant. "No..." I whispered. "You can't mean... She can't be... _dead_."

Sandy floated over to me. A sand image of what looked like a _Pac Man_, then a snowflake, formed above his head.

"You want me to talk to Jack?" I asked. He nodded. "But why me? He doesn't know me that well."

Sandy gave me a look that said _'exactly.'_ I realized that Jack probably wasn't too happy with the other Guardians right now... talking to them wouldn't help.

"All right," I sighed.

I transformed into a raven, flew outside and circled the workshop. I spotted Jack almost immediately, and flew down to him. He was staring out across the white landscape of the arctic, and he looked a mess. His face was tear-stained, grief-stricken and heartbroken. He wasn't crying, but it wasn't because he felt any better than when he had. I knew from past experience how he felt - there were no tears left to cry.

I transformed back into my human form, and sat next to him.

For a while, we just sat there in silence. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I said, "I'd ask if you were okay, but I think the answer to that is pretty obvious."

Jack ignored the statement. Instead, he asked, "why her?"

"What?"

"Why did it have to be her? She was the kindest girl I ever knew. Why did she have to die?"

I thought for a moment. "I don't know."

"That's the problem. Neither do I. I just can't stop thinking about how if I'd done things differently, she'd still be here."

"Jack, there was nothing you could have done."

"I should have stopped the others from sending her away. If she had never left, Pitch would never have been able to harm her."

"You did all you could-"

_"But it wasn't enough!"_

The intensity of his words and the emotion in his voice made me look at him. _Really_ look. In that moment, I saw the truth.

"Oh God," I whispered. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Jack sighed. "Yes," he replied. "I didn't realize it until it was too late, but... Yes, I loved her."

We sat in silence for a while after that. I really wasn't sure what to say. I knew that nothing I could say would lessen the pain, but I wished there _was_ something that would.

Finally, Jack spoke. "Who was he?"

His words caught me off guard. "Wh-What?"

He looked at me sadly. "I know, Nocturne. I saw it in your eyes that night, when you explained to me why falling in love with a mortal would bring pain. _You_ fell in love with a mortal once, didn't you?"

I sighed sadly, looking down at my hands. The engagement ring on my left hand glinted as it caught the light. "Yes," I told him. "A long, long time ago. We were engaged to be married, once. I loved him more than I loved anything else in the world. I still do."

"_Engaged_ to be married," Jack noticed. "But not married?"

I shook my head. "He died before it could happen."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, don't apologies."

Jack hesitated, and then asked, "if you don't mind me asking, what... what happened?"

"Well," I wondered how to begin. "It's a long story. His name, back then, was Jack Smith. He's known now as Jack O'Lantern."

"Jack O'Lantern?" He looked confused. "But if he became immortal, then why aren't you two still together?"

"He doesn't remember me," I answered. "As far as he's concerned, the first time he met me was when he was recovering from his fight with Lucifer - the devil, that is."

"Why doesn't he remember you?" Jack asked. "And how come he remembers the rest of his past life."

"It's a long story..."

"I have a long time."

I sighed. "All right. Well... it all started a long time ago. As the daughter of the Man in the Moon, I'm one of the oldest immortals in existence. However, because of who he is, my father was unable to look after me and my twin brother Daniel when we were children. Our mother died giving birth to us, so we were left as good as orphans."

"Your mother died in childbirth?" Jack interrupted. "But so did-"

"Tara's mother. I know. So do all mortal women who bear the children of immortal men. However, Daniel, Samhain and I did not know until after Jack was born."

I paused to think. "Now where was I? Oh yes... Sam, as he was known back then, took care of us; he raised us as though we were his own. He was like a father to us. Eventually we all died together, and were brought back by my father as immortals, though the story of how _that_ happened is for another time.

"My brother was given a great responsibility as an immortal. He has to guide the souls of the dead to either Heaven or Hell, depending on what kind of a person they are - he became know as _'death'_. Many people die all the time, and so, as a result, he had to travel around constantly in order to fulfill his duty, never being able to stop in one place for long. So, when Samhain got a home of his own, it was just us two living there, without my brother.

"Many, many years later, on All Hallows' Eve, Samhain met a beautiful, mortal woman, named Lily Smith. She had a one-year-old son, called Richard, and a husband, called Gregory. Gregory had become a cruel man, constantly out drinking in the local tavern with his friends and getting drunk. He would often beat her, and that night, he had left her for dead. Samhain helped her, nursed her back to health, and in the process, they fell in love.

"One day, Lily brought the news that she was pregnant with Samhain's child. Gregory had realized straight away that the child wasn't his own, but surprisingly, for the time being, he remained silent. Like my own mother, and Tara's mother, Lily died giving birth to her son, who she named Jack. I flew home, to tell Samhain the news. Samhain was heartbroken, but wanted to raise the child himself, since Lily was dead. However, when we returned to the house, we discovered that Gregory had left with Jack and his now two-year-old son Richard.

"Five years later, quite by chance, I found them. I saw Jack playing in the back garden of a house in the midst of a forest, and I knew instantly who he was. He looked so much like Samhain, but also like his mother too. Seeing Gregory, skulking round the house, only confirmed it.

"Over the course of the next eight years, Jack learnt of his true parentage, of immortals, and we became friends. But then, one day, Jack saw a strange figure, leering over Richard's shoulder. Richard had been acting strangely for a while, and suddenly, he yelled at Jack for seemingly no reason. Jack asked me about the figure, and eventually we worked out who it was."

"The devil," Jack guessed. I had almost forgotten that the winter spirit was there - I had been so caught up in my memories.

I nodded. "Lucifer. He had come to try and corrupt Richard's soul. Jack was determined not to let him, and so, one day, he used crosses and holy water to force Lucifer into swearing an oath, one even Lucifer could not break, that he would never try to corrupt or take the soul of Richard, or any other person in their family. From that day on, Lucifer hated Jack, hated the fact that a mortal had managed to outsmart him. And so, though we didn't know it, he watched and he waited for the perfect moment to exact his revenge.

"A year later, Jack confessed his love for me, and I confessed my love for him. Then, two years after that, he asked me to marry him. I said yes.

"A few days later, Lucifer decided to strike. Gregory was dying, but Richard had already died in an accident and gone to heaven, so Jack had to look after him a lot. We had arranged to meet each other in a clearing near his house, where we often met. I arrived early, eager to see him.

"Lucifer took me by surprise. He kidnapped me, left a message for Jack, and took me down to Hell. There, he did things to me I don't like to remember. The pain was by far the worst I have ever felt, seconds felt like hours, minutes like years.

"Jack came down to try and save me. Lucifer threatened to kill me, and so Jack made a bargain. Lucifer would spare my life, in return for every memory Jack had of me.

"After that, Lucifer had his demons leave me, weak and powerless, near Jack's house. It was there that Samhain found me, and he took me home. In his care, I began to recover, and soon I was strong enough to walk and talk again. It was not long after that my brother turned up, with Jack in his arms.

"Jack had fought Lucifer and won, but at a price. He was dying. But according to Daniel, Heaven would refuse to allow him to enter, because of the deal he made to save me, and Hell couldn't take him because Lucifer promised he would never take the soul of any member of Jack's family - which, whether Jack intended it or not, meant Lucifer could never take his soul. Because his soul would have nowhere to go, it would become _'lost'_, as Daniel puts it."

"What do you mean by _'lost'_?" Jack asked, confused.

"It means that the soul will wander the Earth forever, having barely any memory of who they were or why they are there. Sometimes they can become fixated on a point of their life - often their death - and they can cause strange things to happen. In such circumstances, mortals can sometimes see them. They are what mortals call ghosts, but in most circumstances, the soul wanders aimlessly with no purpose, forgetting everything as it happens. It is a terrible way to exist."

"So the Man in the Moon made Jack immortal, to save him from that fate?" Jack guessed.

"Yes. But he couldn't bring back his memories."

"It must be hard, seeing him everyday, still loving him, but not being able to say anything because he can't remember."

"It is hard, but I'm happy that he's alive. If I had to chose between him becoming a _Lost Soul_ and the way things are now, I would chose this every time. But... I still wish things were different. I've often thought about going back down to Hell, and trying to get his memories back some way or another, but I know it would never end well. Besides, he seems happy enough as he is, maybe it's better this way."

"Better? You don't really believe that, do you?" Jack asked incredulously.

I sighed. "No. You're right, I don't. But sometimes, I do wonder."

"Besides, he must _realize_ that he's forgotten something, surely? He must want to remember."

"That's part the problem. Lucifer didn't just take Jack's memories, he altered what Jack had left so that there didn't seem to be any gaps."

We sat in silence for a while. It felt strange to have shared the true story with someone. Not even April knew the truth - she knew that I had fallen in love with a mortal, who had died, but she never knew who he was. It was kind of relieving, to confide in someone who, in some shape or form, knew how I felt.

Jack spoke softly, breaking me away from my thoughts. "Is there a chance that the Man in the Moon might have made Tara immortal?"

I thought about the possibility. "She was a truly good person," I replied, "so it's _possible_... but do you think that, if she _had_ become immortal, she'd let you suffer like this?"

Jack looked away, sadly. I didn't need to hear him say it to know what he thought. _No, she wouldn't._ I hated crushing his hopes like this, but I knew from past experience that it hurt more when you allowed yourself to think that maybe there was hope, only to realize that there wasn't.

"She didn't deserve it," Jack murmured. "She deserved to live a full, happy life. It isn't fair."

"_Life_ isn't fair," I muttered darkly.

"Well you're a right ray of sunshine."

"That's funny, considering I'm the spirit of the _night_."

We both chuckled slightly at the comment, before lapsing into silence again.

The silence was really starting to big me. "Jack, what are you thinking?" I asked.

"That I want to make Pitch pay for what he did."

I realized what he meant. "You're not going to _go after him_, are you?"

He looked worriedly at me. "Don't tell the others, they'll try to stop me."

"You're worried about the other Guardians trying to stop you? What makes you think _I_ won't try to stop you?"

"Because you know how I feel," he answered, his eyes pleading with me. "Please Nocturne, I have to do this. I loved her, and he took her away from me. I want to be the one to bring him down."

I relented slightly. "All right. But you'll wait a few days first, give yourself a chance to recover and to actually _think_ about what you're going to do."

"Last time I decided to wait a while before doing something important was when I was going to prove Tara's innocence. I was supposed to rest until morning, but I was knocked out and ended up being unconscious for a lot longer. That ended in Tara's death, Nocturne. I don't want to make that mistake again."

"What's left to lose? Waiting won't do any harm now." I told him.

"Fine." He didn't look happy about it, but at least he agreed. "I'll wait a couple of days. But after that..."

"After that you can go after Pitch if you want, just be careful."

He nodded mutely, and sighed. "I guess I should try to get some sleep." He paused, before adding, "_If_ I can sleep."

"I should probably return home," I told him.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for the night? It's a long way..."

"Yes, I'm sure. I've been away too long... the Nightmare attacks are getting worse, the others will need my help."

Jack looked puzzled. "How come Pitch is always so focused on the Guardians and what we do to keep him at bay, but he never bothers you four, when you guys go around killing his forces?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I'm not sure that he knows about us. Any Nightmares we see, we destroy, so none of them are able to report back to him and tell him that we exist. Therefore, all he knows is based on rumor and myth. He's never had reason to believe that we are real."

"That could prove useful in a fight against him," Jack speculated.

"It could," I agreed. "We'd have the element of surprise."

I stood, carefully so that I didn't fall off the roof. "Well, I really must go," I told him. I gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry. About Tara."

He nodded, and for a moment I realized part of the real reason he wanted to go after Pitch. It wasn't just revenge, he felt that he had failed Tara, and that by finishing Pitch he might begin to redeem himself for that failure.

"You did everything you could," I reminded him, "Tara would never want you to do anything more than that. Just remember that, please?"

He nodded. "I'll try."

I smiled my thanks, and then transformed into a raven. I flew off into the night sky and began the long journey home.

* * *

**So...**

**Review please! Tell me your thoughts on Nocturne's past, on Jack's plans, on the whole story in general! ****_Please?_**

**Till next time!**

**_MS_**


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